Darwinian Rhapsody: Romantic Evolution
by LejindaryBunny
Summary: edited and completed Todd becomes friends and maybe more with the newest X recruit. The XMen and Brotherhood must face the Sentinels. Some GambitRogue also. Tokyo Kings now started!
1. Jumping at Shadows

Darwinian Rhapsody  
By LejindaryBunny  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hey, your authoress the great and powerful checking in. This is to date my only Evo fic, but as it is really cool it will be long. In fact I have no idea how it ends at the moment, or even if it does end. But I do have a good ten or so chapters planned. It even has *gasp* a plot! And Bad Guys! Like, not the normal Bad Guys, who are, like, almost good guys in this Fic. BUT the normal good guys ARE in it. (pretty damn unusual for one of my fics) And they're IN CHARACTER! There are however several new characters in the Fic, most notably my own character, Ebony, but a few of my friends characters might show up. Also, GAMBIT is introduced in this fic, as I am a huge fan of everyone's fav sweet-talking Cajun thief. The Sentinels and their creator show up as well. BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Okay, now read the Fic. Oh, and a REVIEW is like a god unto ME. You shall be praised worshiped and sacrificed unto for doing so. And I mean that. All reviews (even flames)will be acknowledged and replied to in the next chapter. Inferiority complex? Nah, couldn't be. Now, On with the show.  
  
Chapter one...Jumping at Shadows  
  
Ebony hastily shoved those books that were necessary for her homework into her small black bookbag. The girl, diminutive at only 4'9 1/3, was the newest X- recruit. She had shining black eyes and knee-length raven hair that was tied in a ponytail that started at the small of her back. It was the Tuesday of her third week at Bayville and as it was January shehad alot of catching up to do, especially since she hadn't been to school for a month before then. She closed the locker.  
  
"Yo," spoke the figure who had been standing behind her.  
  
"eep!" Ebony squeaked, surprised, then, regaining her equilibrium," Um, hi." She looked up, seven inches taller than her stood the Toad, the only one of the Brotherhood whom she was unlucky enough to have in her grade. "listen, if you're going to pull any time consuming pranks on me could it wait until tomorrow? Because I've really got alot of homework and..."  
  
"s'nothin' like that, yo, I jus' wanted to talk to ya, y'know," the dirty blonde mutant explained.  
  
This surprised her more than a little. "Um, okay? But could you talk and walk at the same time? If I miss my bus I can't get a ride for another hour." She started down the hall passing the English office.  
  
"So you're Ebony, right?"  
  
"No, I'm like, Kitty. What are you, like, deaf and blind?" She twirled her hair in the proper fashion club manner.  
  
"Sorry, yo. The cafeteria food's got hallucinogenic effects." He grinned." So Ebony your real name? Thought I heard a teach call ya Kim."  
  
She made a face, "You must've eaten too much cafeteria food." She started down the stairs. "will that be all?"  
  
"Nah, I'd like fries wit that, yo."  
  
She surprised herself by laughing.  
  
"Like I said I just wanna talk. That an' I was kinda wonderin' how ya manage to set the blue furred freak runnin' on sight."  
  
Ebony stopped. "Go away," she growled flatly.  
  
"Hey, sorry, yo. I thought ya were doin' it on purpose."  
  
"Well I'm not, Happy?" she opened the door and looked around. "And now I missed my bus too. Thanks bunches." she sat down on the steps. "Now I have to ride home with Jean and Scott."  
  
He sat, no, more like squatted, no, well, he did that frog thing, next to her. Contrary to what she had heard he didn't smell THAT bad.  
  
"s'another thing, yo," he said.  
  
"What," she demanded sharply.  
  
"Why d'you hang out with the X-geeks if you don't like 'em. And it's obvious ya don't."  
  
She crossed her arms petulantly. "That's not so. I like the Institute and the X-men just fine. It's just well, Scott's a jerk and Jean's a prep and Kitty's like, a valley girl , and Evan's a creep, Rogue's got pms 24/7 and Kurt-"  
  
He cut her off. "So you like the X-geeks but nobody in the X-geeks?"  
  
"That's, not the point." She grumbled and leaned back against the wall.  
  
"Nah, s'not, yo. An' the reason I wanna talk to ya's we got sumthin' in common."  
  
She sighed. What could possibly make him think that? "What?"  
  
"Got no friends, yo." He waited for her to storm away indignantly.  
  
But she didn't. Instead she asked quietly, "What's your name, anyways?"  
  
He blinked. "S'Tolensky, Todd Tolensky," he replied Bond style.  
  
Todd? Well that figured.  
  
"So's your name really Kim?"  
  
"Call me by it and I'll go Pink Power Ranger on your ass."  
  
"S'cool,yo. So what's your power? I ain't seen ya do nothin'"  
  
"Shadows. I can manipulate them, solidify them into simple patterns and turn myself into one. I'm working on carrying objects or people with me. I'm having alot of trouble with inanimate stuff though. Hence the clothing. "She gestured to her all black attire.  
  
"Yo, you mean that stuff ain't nothin' but a SHADOW?" he asked, gaping at her.  
  
"Correction, shadow CLOTHING. I patterned it off of stuff I saw at the mall. It's a shame I can only do black. See I can solidify shadows into any material," she touched the wall, drawing from it what seemed to be a contained black liquid. "This is it's natural state. I can solidify it's shape and molecular pattern into just about any separate material. Stone, plastic, wood, metal, cloth," she demonstrated as she spoke forming it into a small stone, a sheet of plastic, a wooded mallet, a metal blade and a ribbon." but it's always black." she sighed, dissipating the black ribbon. "And hey, look behind you."  
  
Todd turned to see his shadow spontaneously waving at him. "Cool. So you can freak people out, make stuff an' turn inta a shadow? At's pretty cool, yo."  
  
She nodded. "I can cast myself onto solid or liquid surfaces."  
  
"Was it like bein' a shadow?"  
  
"It's kind of weird. Sort of like a picture with no perspective. Everything's on the same plane. only two dimensions. All length and width no depth. That's what solidifying it really is, brining it into the third dimension."  
  
"So's that mean since it's only two dimensions time don't affect you in Shadow mode?"  
  
Ebony blinked.  
  
"Time bein' the fourth dimension," he continued.  
  
"Um, actually...I'm not sure, I never really thought about it." Now she felt dumb. She'd heard that the Toad wasn't particularly intelligent and she'd taken it at face value. She decided to get the subject away from her. "so, you jump, right? And you have that...tongue.."  
  
He nodded a bit sullenly and this time he changed the subject. Ebony guessed that his powers were a slightly sensitive topic. Well, with powers like that who wouldn't be sensitive?  
  
"So where ya from, yo?"  
  
Damn, the discussion was back on her. "Grayling, Michigan," and, taking the question to mean more than place she continued. "A few months ago my powers manifested and I had a revelation. "Her smile turned dark.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My parents were rabid mutant haters. Yep, turns out they hated all of us unnatural mutie freaks."she smirked "I really don't want to think about them."  
  
Todd nodded solemnly. "Know what ya mean, yo. So what'd ya do the? Or d'ya not wanna say, cuz that's cool too."  
  
Ebony was yet again surprised, this time by the sensitivity coming from the usually snide if not completely rude freshman. She wondered what his parents must have been like. "I used my powers to sneak out, "she continued." Neither of them realized that if I cast myself onto the floor I could get under the door. Anyway there was this really old cemetery I knew about, with a little stone house for the gravekeeper that nobody used anymore and I already had some of my stuff there. It was where I hung out when I wanted to be alone. Nobody knew about it really so..."  
  
"Hung out in graveyard, huh. How'd ya eat, yo?"  
  
She shrugged. "Shadows don't set off mini-mart alarms, and nobody suspects a girl who looks eight of picking pockets. Then about a month and a half later Xavier and co. showed up. And hey, lots of things are better than graveyards, and I always wanted to see NYC. "She giggled."DO I really look eight?"  
  
"Only from the back, yo."  
  
She made a face but realized her anime status bust must look even bigger in comparison to the rest of her.  
  
"Maybe you'll have a growth spurt."  
  
"Somehow I doubt it. So where are you from?"  
  
"Orphanage to orphanage, yo. An' normality free two years this June. Mystique 'adopted' 'bout a year 'n a half ago an' here I am."  
  
She nodded and was about to reply when the noise of girls chattering came from around the corner.  
  
"Guess soccer practice is out. I better catch my ride." She stood up. "Um, see you tomorrow?"  
  
"yup. I better get back or Lance'll think I'm dead or somethin'. An' I wouldn't wanna get his hopes up, yo" He hopped up and off around the other side of the building.  
  
Ebony crossed the parkinglot to where Jean was, headed for Scott's car.  
  
"Oh, hi Ebony, did you miss your bus?" The redhead smiled down, over a foot taller than the shadow mutant.  
  
She made a face and said in her 'sweet little girl' voice," Uh-huh. Can I get a ride with you and Scott?" she peered up with big dark eyes, "Please?"  
  
"Of course. I wouldn't make you walk all the way back to the Institute."  
  
Ebony thought she was much too patronizing. She hated people who assumed things about her because of her height. Next time she just might walk.  
  
~*~  
  
Well, what do you think of Ebony? Thank you very much for reading. DOMO ARRIGATO! Please review, as I said all is aprixxiated, positive or negative. We see more of the X-ge, er, X-men in the next chapter, and Ebony develops an INTERESTING PROBLEM as well as has a go in the DANGER ROOM. Till next chapter.  
  
*LejindaryBunny* 


	2. Teachers Can Be Cruel

Darwinian Rhapsody  
By LejindaryBunny  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Yo! Bunny saying Hi again! Mwahaha! Chapters at the speed of LIGHT! Praise and Sacrifice goes out to ALL my reviewers but ESPESSIALLY the immortal named 'Todd Fan' who was my first reviewer! May she bare many sons! Or daughters if she prefers. Or just get her pick of hot guys. (I'm assuming you're a girl, if I'm wrong you have permission to kis- er, kill me.) Okay, in this chapter Ebony goes to a teacher friend for advice and ends up being mocked about it. (This really happened to me about the same thing.) Then later she has a go in the Danger Room. As always a REVIEW is like a God unto ME! All reviewers will be acknowledged by name when I see them, responded to and Praised and Sacrificed to.  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, my muse, Vincent, informs me that I forgot this section in the last chapter so here goes. I don't own X-men, marvel does, and so does Warner Brothers, I think. I don't own any of the characters either, except for Ebony, and she has a mind of her own. So you official types don't sue me (I've got nothing worth taking.) And you fanfiction writers don't steal Ebony; I might let you use her if you ask me though. Okay, On with the show!  
  
Chapter 2.Teachers Can Be Cruel  
  
The next day in school Ebony couldn't concentrate. She kept thinking about the conversation that she'd had the day before with Todd. After school yesterday the sheer weight of her homework had prevented her from thinking about it, but now.She'd realized this morning that he was in practically all her classes, except for gym. In math class she found herself ignoring quadratic equations and instead wondering why he acted the way he did, he didn't seem stupid or mean or disgusting to her, but maybe she hadn't talked to him for long enough. But wasn't an hour plenty of time? She found herself giggling remembering the conversation. The way he said 'yo' all the time had started out annoying, but thinking about it she realized that it was sort of kawaii. [A/N: 'cute in a baby turtle sort of way' for all you non-anime people.]  
  
In French class she just watched him the entire period. His feet were on the next chair forward, chin on his hands and a look of almost god-like boredom on his face as the teacher reviewed -er verb conjugation. He must not have cared. Or maybe he already knew it. She noticed that his dirty blonde hair was NOT genuinely unclean, as it had been the day before. He must have showered. It did however, still look like it had been cut in the dark with a kitchen knife, although that wasn't necessarily unattractive. She briefly wondered how that thought had come about, but dismissed it and continued appraising the boy. His eyes were large and were an uncommon orangey-brown color. His legs seemed to make up the largest bit of him and his feet and hands were slightly larger than normal. She noticed that his fingers were webbed up to halfway before the first joint. His skin had a slightly green tone to it, but not pronouncedly so. His face was rounded and looked as though not quite all the baby fat had ever melted from it, and his nose was just the slightest bit flat. Ebony wondered if Todd had seen her watching him, but decided that he hadn't. At least he hadn't seemed to.  
  
In biology she wondered whether or not he actually ate bugs; she hadn't seen him do it so far. And, if he did, was it really that gross? Didn't they eat bugs in Africa? And in the bible.  
  
After lunch Ebony had a study hall and went to the library as always. As was usually the case Mrs. S-Z [A/N: a real teacher of mine.] was in the library. She was a young English teacher, recently married, with whom Ebony had already become friends. In actuality Mrs. S-Z was a mutant herself and was aquatinted with Professor Xavier. She had a limited sort of telepathy in which she read the psychic imprint left in writing, thereby being able to understand exactly what the author meant, as well as their thoughts at the time of writing. It was a useful talent for an English teacher.  
  
"Hello Miss. Ebony," Mrs. S-Z greeted. She sometimes added miss, or mister in front of a student's name. She looked up from the papers she had been grading.  
  
"Hi, so, how are you doing?" she sat down beside the slightly older brunette.  
  
"Hmmm, you freshmen just do not understand proper semi-colon use. How about you?"  
  
"My semi-colons?"  
  
"No, your doing."  
  
"Oh, I'm, um, okay," she looked up at the ceiling. "Um, Mrs. S-Z, I've got this problem, and I was wondering if you could help, or at least give me some advice."  
  
She nodded and took a sip of her tea.  
  
"Well, there's this boy and I think I have a crush on him.."  
  
"Oh, right you told me about this last week. Kurt Wagner, right? But you think he might be avoiding you."  
  
"Um, actually I decided that he's a jerk on Thursday."  
  
"Good call. A guy runs when you get within five feet of him he's probably trying to tell you something."  
  
Ebony made a face at the teacher's sarcastic wit.  
  
She took another sip of tea. "So then it's someone else, is it?" "Well, sort of," she said and launched into a high-speed explanation. "I only met him yesterday, well actually he goes to this school but we'd never really spoken before, but yesterday I missed my bus and we talked for an hour, but now that I think about it, it was his fault I missed my bus in the first place because he said he wanted to talk to me but that's not the point the point is," she took a breath, "I'm rambling aren't I? "  
  
"Yes and that's an atrocious run on sentence," she smiled. "So let me get this straight; you think you've got a crush on this boy, who you never met before but he made you miss your bus to talk to you."  
  
"Um, yeah, that's about it."  
  
"Well, first some general advice, whoever it is don't let him know you think you like him until you're sure. You don't want to hurt his feelings and you certainly don't want to be laughed at for no reason." She grinned, "For further advice I'll need to know who it is. No, don't tell me, I want to guess. Okay, I boy who obviously doesn't go to the Institute, but does go here and you've never spoken before."  
  
The teacher cracked her knuckles. Here goes. After talking for an hour you suddenly realized why jocks don't need brains and are now madly in love with the captain of the football team, Duncan Matthews."  
  
"No Way!" Ebony laughed, "Not even close."  
  
"So I can assume that it isn't a jock. Okay, other end of the social spectrum. You never realized how fascinating advanced quantum theory was and are deeply infatuated with that nerd, what's his name, Luke Sands."  
  
She shook her head. "I don't even know who that is."  
  
"Oh! I've got it! The reason that you're not sure you like him is it's that boy ALL the girls are stalking, the bleach job mutant, member of the Brotherhood, what's his name, what's his name.?"  
  
"Pietro Maximoff?" Ebony supplied.  
  
"AHA! That's it! Sorry, he's in Miss. M's English class. So is it him?"  
  
".You're getting closer?"  
  
"Hmm, like Maximoff, but NOT Maximoff? That's a toughie. Maybe someone else who's going steady with his mirror? Or another member of the Brotherhood? Oh I give up, just tell me."  
  
Ebony mumbled something.  
  
"Sorry, didn't catch that." She took a drink of her tea.  
  
"I said Todd Tolensky."  
  
Mrs. S-Z burst out laughing, spraying Ebony with half-drunk tea and earning a stern look from the withered librarian.  
  
"Ahaha.ha.haha.ha.he.em. Hoo. So, who is it really?"  
  
Ebony wiped the tea from her person. "Um. Would you believe that I was serious?"  
  
Mrs. S-Z put a hand to her student's forehead. "Are you feeling alright? Maybe you should see the nurse." then she mumbled, "Or if you're really serious the guidance counselor might be more appropriate."  
  
She sniffed pathetically. "You're laughing at me."  
  
The teacher snorted back a chuckle. "No, no. Of course not, but he's um, how can I put this? .Ew. Ew, I mean, Todd? Todd Tolensky, the Toad? He's, green and he eats.bugs. And he's not even a particularly nice guy!"  
  
"He's.misunderstood. and, and they eat bugs in Africa. And the Bible! They definitely eat bugs in the Bible! And.I guess I answered my own question." The tiny mutant hung her head.  
  
"I.guess so." Mrs. S-Z eyed her as though she were trying to shove a fish into the teacher's ear. "Hokay, advice, well. If it were me I'd stay as far away as possible and hope that the crush passes quickly," she joked. Then she realized that it really wasn't funny. She sighed. "Actually, you should probably get to know him and if he DOES turn out to be a nice guy, well, looks aren't everything I suppose. I mean, look at Beauty and the Beast, or," the lady chuckled, "The Frog Prince!"  
  
"Humph." Ebony crossed her arms defensively.  
  
"I just wonder how your friends at the Institute will react."  
  
"What friends?" she grumped and stalked dejectedly out of the library as the bell to change classes rang shrilly.  
  
"Poor kid," the thoroughly confused English teacher muttered. Then she noticed the mass of ungraded English papers on the table. "Darn."  
  
***  
  
Later during Ebony's English class it took all of Mrs. S-Z's willpower not to break down in gales of laughter every time she happened to look at Todd.  
  
"Now," she addressed the less than attentive class, "today we will begin our preparations to read the gothic novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte."  
  
Ebony, along with the rest of the class, groaned pointedly. She shifted in her seat and tried to concentrate on the teacher instead of the back of Todd's head. He, incidentally, happened to sit right in front of her in the front row of the double arc of desks.  
  
"Alright, I know the sophomores may have told you things like, 'oh my gawd Jane Erye is the most boring book in the universe', BUT this is my FAVORITE book and you WILL like it." She brandished an old, coverless, dog-eared copy of the book at them, full of post-it notes, bookmarks and underlining. "At least I hope you will. With some of your grades you can't afford for you not to." She smiled. The entire class sincerely hoped that she was joking.  
  
Ebony gave a bored sigh. She picked up her pen and began carelessly copying notes on Charlotte Bronte's life. Then something small and distinctly paper hit her in the forehead and bounced onto her desk. She eyed it curiously. It was a small, folded up piece of notebook paper with her name written on one side. She unfolded it and it turned out to be a short note.  
  
*R u as bored as u sound back their? *  
  
It was signed with a 'T'. She glanced forward at Todd wondering why he was bothering to pass notes to her. She shrugged remembering that he had been the one wanting to talk to her, not vice versa.  
  
*More so. * She wrote signing with an EB.  
  
She refolded the paper and tossed it forward, hoping that it would hit his desk. It didn't of course, she'd overshot. But he kicked it upwards before it hit the floor and caught it. Ebony thought that was pretty cool. Thankfully Mrs. S-Z wasn't looking.  
  
This time he didn't throw the paper but passed it back to her below desk level.  
  
*And we haven't even started reading yet. *  
  
She was a little surprised that he didn't seem to write 'yo' as much as he said it. But then, you really thought more about your writing than your speaking.  
  
*How much do you think we'll have to read to pass? * She passed it back.  
  
*Donno. What're u doing after skool? *  
  
*Training. Blah. *  
  
*In that Danger room thingie? That's gonna kill somebody 1a these days.*  
  
*You were an X-man? *  
  
*Nah, passed the test tho. That place is whacked, yo. *  
  
Ah, so he did write it sometimes. She was about to write back when class ended. She stuck the paper inside her notebook and headed for her next class. Ugh, gym, volleyball. Lovely.  
  
***  
  
Ebony walked into the Danger Room nervously. This was her first training exercise and she'd been worried BEFORE Todd's oh so optimistic comments. She was in her costume which was a black shadow spandex one piece with an 'x' cut in the shoulder and arms that became gloves. The metal doors parted before her with a very sci-fi whoosh hiss. The room seemed bare at the moment but for the person who stood in the middle of it. Scarlet haired soccer star Jean Grey smiled towards her encouragingly. In all honesty Ebony didn't think that she was so bad except for the unfortunate fact that telepathy gave the shadow spinner the creeps.  
  
"Hi there Ebony," Jean greeted her cheerfully. "Think you're ready for this?"  
  
The tiny X-man gave a nod. She took a deep breath. Okay Ebs, you can do this. "So what do I have to do?"  
  
"You're going to have to navigate a maze/obstacle course. The maze is patterned as a high-tech enemy base and the object is to get to the center and find a way to safely disarm the doomsday device. You can use your powers in any way you see fit as well as anything you might find in the maze itself."  
  
"What if I get into trouble?"  
  
"The professor and I will be in the control tower. We'll shut off the course if there is anything that you can't handle. But if that happens the exercise is over."  
  
"Okay. Lovely. Well, I'm ready."  
  
Jean nodded and walked somewhere out of Ebony's sight. The training program began and her surroundings changed.  
  
Now there were three doors in front of her, metal and sci-fi-ish but they didn't part in the middle. She knocked on one of the doors. Nothing. Hmmm, how to get in? Walking to the farthest door on the left she put her ear to the door and listened. She heard a distinctly metallic humming, it didn't sound like a good thing and she didn't feel like dealing with an evil robot. The second door was quiet, too quiet, she thought, mimicking the old cliché. The third door had something behind it that beeped every so often. She decided to try that one.  
  
She eyed the slim fissure between the top of the door and the wall. She closed her eyes and cast herself onto the door, taking the place and form of her shadow. In the next room the living shadow flowed and when she was through returned to the third dimension.  
  
There was no door in this room per say, but a portal with a force shield in front of it, there was no way she could get through it. She surveyed the rest of the room, a machine with strange symbols labeling at least twenty different buttons and on the wall a sign that she guessed to tell what each button did. Unfortunately she didn't feel like deciphering the code they were in.  
  
Ebony paused to divine the best method breaking the thing. She snapped her fingers; it was time to try out something she'd been wondering if she could work out.  
  
She stood, her feet spread apart, across the room from the machine. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath her arms out in front of her, palms forward. She drew on the shadows around her feet, liquefying it in the air before her hands. She drew back and hurled the unformed non-energy solidifying it into a series of metal spikes only as it reached the target, then she shattered them as soon as they pierced the machine. It was totaled, nothing but shrapnel.  
  
She giggled wickedly as the force shield flickered out. "Now, what to call it? Shadow Shard Shatter? Nah, splinter, Shadow Shard Splinter!" She giggled aging and thought for a moment. Then she changed her spandex into an all black Sailor Scout uniform, bows, boots and all. "Yep, that's me, Sailor Eclipse." She traipsed through the portal to the next room.  
  
In the control tower Jean and the Professor watched as Ebony navigated room after room, even at one point, using a mixture of amateur karate and shadow knives to battle a menacing robot.  
  
"She is most certainly energetic," Professor Xavier commented, "And has no trouble finding new ways to use her powers."  
  
Jean nodded.  
  
"But she is much too impulsive, she needs patience. I think that perhaps Ororo can help her with that area of her training."  
  
Jean nodded then said, "Look, she's reached the last room."  
  
The two watched to see what the X-recruit turned mock Sailor Scout would do. She eyed the great machine carefully. She knew she should probably try to figure out whether to cut the red, yellow, or blue wire, but what if she got it wrong? And anyway it was just training, what could it hurt?  
  
"What the hell," she said standing and backing up. "SHADOW SHARD SPLINTER!!"  
  
The great device was not totaled, merely damaged. And Ebony felt the ground shake VERY unencouragingly.  
  
"Uh, oops?" she said as the simulation shut itself down. "I died, didn't I?"  
  
~*~  
  
Next chapter Gambit and the Sentinels are introduced. Will Todd find out someone has a crush on him? How will the X-men react? For that matter how will the Brotherhood react? Will Todd and Ebony be mocked mercilessly from both sides of this messed up Romeo and Juliet? Probably! All REVIEWS will RECEIVE praise and GLORY!! 


	3. AntiMutant Sentiment

Darwinian Rhapsody  
By LejindaryBunny  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hi! It is I once again! You mean you're still reading? Am I good or am I good? Praise and sacrifice to all my reviewers, okay, so maybe lied a little about that whole response by name thing, but I only have the net at school! Forgive me if I'm a little pressed for time! Anyway, this is the chapter in which Gambit is introduced, as well as some of the X-men's problems. From here on in there will be action, fighting, a bit more swearing and a few people will actually get HURT. Sorry, this chapter doesn't have any Todd in it but hopefully Remy will make up for that. Even if he doesn't the next chapter will be almost 'toadally' about Todd and the BoM.  
  
To any of you who used to watch the old animated X-men religiously some of the up coming material may seem a tad familiar. But with all new characters, refined plot, more romance, some angst and best of all Ebony and the Brotherhood, I don't think too many of you will mind. Oh, and no Jubilee, I made that decision early on. And scarier Sentinels. By the way, is anyone opposed to a little slash? I'm thinking of having someone have a little crush on someone else. Not telling who yet but even if I go ahead with it the poor guy won't get anywhere. Also I am very fond of the sacred Rogue Gambit pairing so that's coming. Um, let's see, anything else.no, I think that's it for this author's note.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-men, I don't own the Brotherhood (Unfortunate thing, that.) I don't own the Sentinels. The only thing do own is Ebony. You can borrow her as long as you tell me first. I'm not trying to make any money off this so please don't sue me. (I own about as much as Todd, Honest!) Um, I don't own any of the mentioned radio stations either, I just used the ones I my city.  
  
Chapter 3.Anti-Mutant Sentiment  
  
Ebony lay on the couch in the TV room of the Institute, desperately wishing that something was on. She flipped past a Spanish soap opera, and When Echidnas Attack III, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Kurt was trying to sneak through the room without her noticing. She thought a moment. Why humor him? She decided, and leapt up, pouncing on him.  
  
"HI KURT!" She squealed.  
  
"Ach! Ebony! Get off!" he yelped from under her.  
  
She smiled, "Okay!" She jumped up and smiled sweetly. "I didn't see you after school."  
  
"I was, busy, ja, very busy. In fact I must go do my homework! Um, right now." The boy looked frantic.  
  
"Kay." She bounced out of the room and into the hallway, giggling. That was actually fun, now that his aversion to her wasn't as offensive.  
  
"Hey, Ebony,"  
  
She looked up startled. "Oh, hi Rogue. How are you?" Ebony was surprised that the southern goth was speaking to her. She had been under the impression that Rogue didn't like her very much, too optimistic, she'd guessed.  
  
"Ahm alright. Kitty an me were goin' to go to the mall and were wuh wonderin' if ya wanted to come." The dark clad girl's accent was heavy but not unpleasant.  
  
"Um, okay," she replied, glad that she now had something to do. "Just let me go get my purse."  
  
"Alright, we'll met ya at the front door in a minute or so."  
  
"Kay, um, who's driving?"  
  
"Scott said he'd drive us there."  
  
She nodded cheerfully and traipsed off to her room, which at the moment she didn't have to share. Grabbing her black purse she hurried down the stairs to where Scott, Rogue and Kitty were gathered.  
  
"Like, hey Ebony, you like, ready to go?"  
  
She nodded. Maybe Todd had been wrong, maybe she did have friends in the Institute.  
  
"Come on girls, I don't have all day," Scott declared,  
  
"We're comin' sugah," Rogue told him and headed out the tall doors to his car. The others followed her, the only male obviously unhappy that the professor had asked him to spend his afternoon playing chauffeur.  
  
In the red sport car Scott of course drove, and Rogue was in the passenger seat. Kitty and Ebony had to ride in back. There was the inevitable well- meaning fight about what radio station to listen to, each member of the group trying to convert the others to their musical religion. Kitty voted for the local pop station, Rogue for heavy metal and Ebony wanted to listen to the 80's station. Scott eventually called driver's privilege and tuned it to opera music, simply in order to annoy everyone.  
  
"Come on Scott that is sooo lame! Please put it Kiss 107!"  
  
" 95.5 The Nerve," demanded Rogue.  
  
"Nu-uh, the Buzz, please Scott?"  
  
"If you three can't agree on a station then I am leaving it on this. Consider it a lesson in compromise.."  
  
"The Professor would be proud," Ebony grumbled. Xavier's star student tended to get on her nerves.  
  
In the end they agreed on the Zone a rather well rounded station, with pop, rock, alternative and some older stuff. [A/N: Yes those are all radio stations in my area, no that didn't have a point, I just didn't feel like only writing 'When they got to the mall.' I thought it needed some prelude.]  
  
When they got to the mall they split up, Scott going one way, the girls going another, deciding to meet back at the food court in two hours. They went to all the clothing stores and tried on different outfits. Ebony did so mostly for the fun of it, since anything she wore when she used her powers would fall off, or disappear entirely. There was, however one shirt she bought in order to copy it in shadow cloth, a cute midriff shirt with lace around the low neckline. Kitty bought a pair of shoes from a one-day only sale, and Rogue got a pair of black jeans with spikes down the side.  
  
"Hey, look at these you guys!" Ebony exclaimed as they combed the racks of a small shop.  
  
"What ya got theya, Ebony?" Rogue asked.  
  
She giggled and held up a T-shirt that proclaimed, 'Humans Suck!'.  
  
"Lemme see one a those," she took one off rack. "Now this here shirt knows what it's talkin' about."  
  
"I donno, like, wouldn't the Professor not like that?" Kitty asked cautiously, eyeing a pink one of them herself.  
  
"Ah don' think he'll mind."  
  
"Well, okay, the worst he'll do is say he disapproves anyway." Kitty picked one up and the three each bought one.  
  
Soon it was time to meet up with Scott. The three gathered their bags and headed to the food court.  
  
"So, like, do you think Scott will let us shop for another hour? We still haven't been to all the stores." "Ah hope so, ah-" Rogue was cut off rudely when a guy with wavy brown hair and a slim build, dressed in a blue shirt, black jeans and a brown leather duster barreled into her at a run.  
  
"Wha don't you watch where you're going!" she demanded.  
  
"Sorry, chere, no time to chat," he said hurriedly in a strong Cajun accent, and ran past her.  
  
"Like, the nerve of some people. I just can't believe-" Kitty too was rudely cut off.  
  
"Stop that man, he's a hostile mutant!" yelled an authoritative man in a dark suit and sunglasses, follow by two similar men.  
  
"Now wait just a second! What did he do?" Ebony yelled as they ran past the group.  
  
The men, however, took no heed of her and followed the duster-clad teen at a run.  
  
"Stop now and you will not be harmed!" Announced the leader.  
  
"Dat so, mon ami?" he said tuning on a dime to face them, "But Remy don't think he gonna come quiet." He grinned roguishly .  
  
The girls watched the happenings with growing interest. They saw Remy draw a hand of playing cards seemingly from nowhere, pulsing with energy.  
  
"Get down, Cheres" he yelled to the three girls. Then threw the cards at the men one of whose head exploded when they made contact, the rest managed to roll out of the way, causing the cards to explode on the mall floor.  
  
The crowd panicked and ran screaming in all directions, away from the scene. The two remaining men lifted their palms and began firing red laser blasts at the renegade mutant, who dodged them using a series of jumps and flips and retaliating with more cards.  
  
Rogue and Kitty were transfixed by the pyrotechnic battle but Ebony's eyes had fallen on the body of the dead 'man'. The corpse should have been mangled and burnt beyond recognition, but instead the clothing had burnt off, revealing a body of steal and wires, badly scorched by the explosion.  
  
"They're robots!" Ebony exclaimed, taking in this information.  
  
"Ah was wonderin' about those lasers!"  
  
"Come on he's in trouble!" Kitty yelled. "Can't you do that shatter blast thing, Ebony?"  
  
She nodded and drew on shadow.  
  
"HOSTILE MUTANT DETECTED." One of the remaining two turned from attacking the mysterious mutant and directed its attention at Ebony.  
  
"SHARD SPLINTER!" Ebony launched the attack at the robot. It fired a laser at her which passed through the unformed shadow, dissipating it. Ebony tried to duck out of the way but wasn't quick enough, the blast tagged her on the shoulder.  
  
"Ah!" she yelped in pain, the blast had burnt away part of her shirt revealing a nasty burn. She was on her knees whimpering in pain.  
  
"Ebony watch out!" Rogue yelled as the thing prepared to fire again.  
  
It never got the chance, falling as the original target blew it up from behind.  
  
"Never fear, mon cherie." He grinned. " Remy tink that-ah!"  
  
No one found out what Remy thought since the last robot shot him in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.  
  
"TARGET NEUTRALIZED. TARGETING ADDITIONAL HOSTILE MUTANT."  
  
"Ya'll better back off ya robotic thug!"  
  
Attention was now turned to Rogue, "SCANNING SUBJECT.MUTANT DEFECT DETECTED. OBJECTIVE, NEUTRALIZE."  
  
"Rogue, watch it!" Kitty yelled.  
  
"Duck!" Ebony shouted simultaneously.  
  
Rogue ducked as the blast came at her and the robot approached her.  
  
"What in heck are you creeps?" she demanded.  
  
"I AM SENTINEL. HOSTILE MUTANTS MUST BE NEUTRALIZED."  
  
It fired another blast  
  
"Ah see," she ducked out of the way, "Well we ahnt hostile suah, so you can just"  
  
"TARGET IS HOSTILE TARGET MUST BE NEUTRALIZED."  
  
"Not on my watch," Scott announced from the level above them, and fired his own optic blast at the sentinel. A gaping hole was torn in the thing's midsection.  
  
"HOSTILE MUTANT DEtECTed. TaRGeT Must BE NeuTRaLIzED. ALErtiNG HEAdquaRTeRs. HosTiLE MutANtS. TargeTs MuST be NeUtralizED TarGETs Must be Neeuuuu."the sentinel's speech worsened and it fell to the floor, inactive, but more whole than the other two.  
  
"What in hell was that about?!" demanded Scott leaping down the stairs.  
  
"Ah don't know, Scott, they wuh chasin' this guy here." She motioned to the fallen young man, who couldn't have been more than seventeen.  
  
They heard sirens outside. "I think we better go," Ebony squeaked, holding her shoulder.  
  
"I want you to tell me exactly what happened, AFTER we get back. I think we'd take this guy back to the Institute." He picked the mutant up and put him over his shoulder. "Can you walk, Ebony?  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Then let's get out of here."  
~*~  
  
Well, what do you think? Do I write Gambit okay? What do you think of the new Sentinels? Just wait until the start looking like students. Oops, shouldn't a told you that. Next chapter revolves around the Brotherhood of Mutants as they have some Sentinel trouble of their own. Will they be able to handle the mutant hunting robots or will things get ugly for our favorite badass mutants? As always a REVIEW is like a god unto ME. 


	4. Fast Food Hath No Fury

Darwinian Rhapsody  
By LejindaryBunny  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Helloooooo. Welcome to the illustrious author's note before chapter four. Actually this chapter was originally the next chapter and vice versa, but I decided that the new order just made more sense. YES, DOWN WITH THE OLD REGIME, THE DARK KINGDOM WILL TRIUMPH! MWAHAHA! MWAHAHAHAHA! Okay, dreams of Negavesion conquest aside this chapter is all about the Brotherhood of Mutants and how they handle a few Sentinels that come there way, mind you they have vastly inferior firepower to the X-Men, especially now that they're just a bunch of teens fending for themselves instead of playing goons for Magneto and Mystique. By the way the chronology of the fic is this, it begins a few weeks after that episode with the 'Bayville Sirens' (oooo, I'm so scared, girl power mall rats in dumb looking leather and spandex.) And then splits off and runs parallel to anything airing after that episode, I will not change anything in the fic to fit with the ongoing events of Evolution.  
  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine.Unless you're a telepath. Marvel owns X-men, Staind owns Outside. Duncan Matthews owned the Discman.  
  
Chapter 4.Fast Food Hath No Fury.  
  
The Brotherhood house was a boarding house whose previous occupants had been ousted by Mystique while she had still been with them. At present count it had five denizens, who were, obviously, mutants as that was the one requirement of being part of the Brotherhood.which was why it was called the Brotherhood of Mutants. The organization's (currently absent) founder, Magneto, had toyed with the idea of sticking 'Evil' in the name just for sarcasm's sake. He had, however, eventually decided against it deeming that it would be somewhat negative PR for a society that was currently recruiting teenagers. Also he realized that the entire point of the venture was that humanity was, in general, a bunch of dummies and assuming that they would understand the subtleties of his sarcasm would be self-defeating and hypocritical. The history of the Brotherhood, though, is hardly the point of this paragraph, the point (before the author got off on a tangent) actually being to give a brief introduction to each of the five Brotherhood members currently inhabiting the house. This point will be returned to now.  
  
Lance Alvers was, at seventeen, the eldest of the group, though not it's first recruit. As it's first recruit had little interest in maintaining the household it was by the superiority of age that he claimed unofficial leadership and responsibility for the rest of the group during the absence of anything resembling adult supervision. In short he did his best to be everybody's mom, though he would have denied it if ever asked, he would have preferred to be termed an older brother. His mutant alias was Avalanche, clearly revealing his mutant power of manipulating earthquakes. He was best known in school for his relationship with X-person Kitty Pryde, and for his dislike of her fellow X-person, Scott Summers.  
  
Pietro Maximoff, otherwise known as Quicksilver, was sixteen. He was the son of the Brotherhood's founder, not that he and his dad were on particularly good terms. Pietro was both quick witted and quick tempered, known to be hyperactive and someone to be kept away from caffeine AT ALL COSTS. His mutant ability, needless to say, was super speed, more like hyper speed. The boy was extremely attractive and knew it. He kept a mirror with him at all times and as many girls as possible. He practically had his own fan club. There was a rather nasty rumor around school that he was in Denial, though this rumor had yet to be proved one way or the other.  
  
Freddy Dukes was the Blob. There was little else to say about him except that he was basically a good guy with a big heart, even if it didn't have anything on the size of his stomach.  
  
Tabitha Smith, or Boom Boom, was the newest member of the Brotherhood, and incidentally, a female. She was a fun loving girl and didn't hold well with rules. It was this trait that had caused her to leave the plush Institute mansion and move into the ramshackle Brotherhood house.  
  
And then there was Todd.  
  
Todd's room wasn't the cleanest room in the house, that honor belonged to Pietro, whom Todd thought was 'a spastic neat freak, yo.' Nor was his room the second cleanest, that was Tabby's which she had stolen from the by then gone Mystique when she had moved in. His room was, however, the third cleanest, something which one who knew him only casually would never have expected. In fact most of the Brotherhood was still under the illusion that it was most likely the messiest room in the house. This was because he didn't let anyone into his room, not that any of the others really had a burning desire to see how the Toad kept his stuff.  
  
He was in his room at the moment, listening to a CD on the Discman he had swiped from somebody or other, he forgot who.  
  
".All the times that I've tried, my intentions, full of pride But I waste more time than anyone." He sat leaning against the side of his bed, looking at the ceiling, pointedly ignoring his homework. He sang along with the CD more loudly than he would have consciously decided, but the music was up as far as it would go, mostly in order to block out Piertro and Freddy watching Buffy. "But I'm on the outside I'm looking in. I can see through you, see your true colors. Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me. I can see though you see to the real you."  
  
Then he finally heard the knocking. "Just a sec, yo!" he called, hastily pulling off the headphones, leaping up and to the door. "Yeah?" he asked opening the door partway.  
  
It was Lance; "We're going out for a burger, you coming?"  
  
He shrugged, closing the door behind him. Lance was an ok guy, if you could get past the fact that he was head over heels for Kitty. Todd followed him downstairs.  
  
"Yo Lance, can I drive this time?"  
  
"No way Toad, you're STILL fifteen."  
  
"Yeah, so? I can drive just as well as you can."  
  
"Oh yeah? Last time I was stupid enough to let you drive you almost got us all killed."  
  
"Hey, that wasn't my fault! That other guy musta been goin' at least ninety."  
  
"So were you," Lance answered flatly. "For the last time you are NOT driving."  
  
"Man, that ain't fair."  
  
Downstairs Lance called to the others, "Hey guys, c'mon."  
  
Pietro instantly appeared by the two, but it was a moment before Tabby sauntered in with Freddy at her back.  
  
"Well Lance, let's get this show on the road," she grinned.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, come on."  
  
His jeep was parked in the driveway and the five piled in. The owner drove, her highness called shotgun and Todd got stuck in the back next to the other two, as always.  
  
The radio as always was tuned to the Nerve which no one but Freddy had a problem with and he wasn't going to say anything about it. He knew he was the only one of them who liked country.  
  
"SoToaddidn'tcatchyafterschoolyesterdayIlookedindetentionbutyouwern'tthere." Pietro's voice sped along with ease, but from now on his speech will be slowed down for reading facility. And, rewinding for a moment his last sentence was, "So Toad, didn't catch you after school yesterday. I looked in detention but you weren't there."  
  
"I was jus' hanging out, yo," he replied.  
  
"IIII heard a rumor that you were with a GIRL," he said mockingly.  
  
"An' I heard you were goin' steady wit Duncan Matthews, so we're even."  
  
"Take that back you little Toad!"  
  
"Oooo, I'm scared. Lance, save me from Pretty Pretty Pietro."  
  
"Why you!" Quicksilver tried to throttle him.  
  
"If you don't shut up," Lance growled, "I'm going to turn this car around."  
  
"Yes mom," the two of them said, sitting back and shutting up immediately.  
  
"That's better,"  
  
Tabby giggled.  
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
"Nothing.Mom."  
  
Luckily for peace within the ranks it was at that moment that they pulled into the parking lot of the local fast food establishment, termed by its customers the Gut Bomb. It had an official name, but no one cared what it was.  
  
The group then piled out of the jeep and into the restaurant, striking fear in the heart of the manager that shift; the Brotherhood were regulars at the place.  
  
The five had ordered what would have seemed like an outrageous amount of food, if one didn't consider the fact that Freddy was with them. At their booth in the corner Lance ate, Tabby dined, Pietro nibbled, Freddy consumed and Todd munched.  
  
"So who were you with?" Tabby asked him curiously.  
  
"Nobody, yo."  
  
Lance grinned slyly, "Kitty says you were passing notes in English. She didn't say who to though."  
  
"Yeah, so? If I tell you guys you'll just rag on me, yo."  
  
"No we won't," Freddy said seriously. "We promise."  
  
"You can tell us," Tabby told him sweetly.  
  
"So who is she Todd?" Pietro asked smirking.  
  
"Well." he looked down at his french-fries. "Ebony." He looked away.  
  
Pietro looked like he was about to get ice cubes stuck in his nose from snorting his Sprite.  
  
"I knew you were gonna laugh, yo," he slumped further down in his seat  
  
"Nobody's laughing at you, man," Lance said, ignoring the fact that Pietro was still sniggering.  
  
"I think it's cute," Tabby said though Todd made a face. "So how'd you get her to talk to you?"  
  
He shrugged, "just started talking. Guess she was too nice to tell me to go away."  
  
"Aw, I bet she likes you," she told him.  
  
He muttered something incomprehensible.  
  
"Who's Ebony?" Freddy asked.  
  
"You know," Lance said, "new girl at the Institute, black hair, really short. Her real name's Kim Trufire."  
  
"Oh," he said putting the name with the face. Then, "she's so tiny."  
  
"Everyone's tiny compared to you, Blob," Todd said, "she's not THAT short."  
  
"And you're not that green, "Pietro chuckled wickedly.  
  
Todd wished he hadn't said anything about it. Of course they thought it was funny; who wouldn't? The Toad talking to a girl, after all he was only the ugliest guy in school.  
  
He didn't get a chance to continue very long on that dismal train of thought as three men in business suits and sun glasses walked in and over to the table.  
  
The leading man flashed a badge. "FBI, you five are under arrest. Come quietly and you will not be harmed." The entirety of the restaurant turned to stare at them.  
  
"Under arrest? On what charges?" Lance demanded.  
  
"I ain't done nothing!" Todd said.  
  
"I don't even know these creeps!" Tabby lied.  
  
"Can't we work this out?" Freddy asked.  
  
"You'll never take me alive Coppers!" Pietro proclaimed.  
  
It was Boom Boom, naturally, who fired the first shot, a small blast at the feet of one of the 'FBI' and it was a part-time employee, of course who screamed. This caused the rest of the people in the place to panic and rush out the doors. Since it was assumed that the authorities were already there no one called the police, unfortunately someone did decide to tip the evening news.  
  
Meanwhile inside the fight had begun. The first of the three fired on Boom Boom in retaliation.  
  
"TARGETS PROVE HOSTILE. OBJECTIVE, NEUTRALIZE." The 'men' opened fire on the group with laser beams from their palms.  
  
"The hell are these guys?!" Todd yelped leaping out of the way of a laser burst.  
  
"WE ARE SENTINEL, HOSTILE MUTANTS MUST BE NEUTRALIZED."  
  
Quicksilver dodged in and out between rapid fire from the second Sentinel, "Yeah right!"  
  
Tabby was trying to fire off a bomb that would actually hit one of them as Lance started a very localized quake intended to knock their opponents off balance long enough to do so. Toad meanwhile drew fire away from the Blob who couldn't move fast enough to dodge. Unfortunately all Avalanche's tremor did was throw Todd off balance as he came down from a backflip, sending him down and into the wall as one of the crimson blasts connected with his ribs.  
  
"Screw it Tabby," Lance yelled, seeing the tide of battle, "Blow the whole place up! We're getting outta here!"  
  
She nodded at him and yelled to Freddy, "Get Toad! We're clearing out!"  
  
He nodded whacking the Sentinel, which had attacked Todd, away with a convenient table then picked him up. He hurried out of the building after the Lance and Pietro, passing Tabby as she built a large blast sphere, hurled it back inside and ran like Heek.  
  
The Gut Bomb went up like God's worst case of heartburn.  
  
They were in the car and speeding when Todd came back to consciousness just in time to see them pass a news van speeding the other way. "Yo man, nobody ever said I'd hafta fight a pack a' Terminator's psycho relatives," he said dizzily.  
  
"Terminator's relatives?" Freddy asked, happy that his friend wasn't in a coma.  
  
"They was metal, yo. I kicked one a 'em an' it was like fightin' a trash can only harder." He rubbed his side gingerly but winced in pain. "They were robots or somethin'"  
  
"Great," Lance said irritably, "The last thing we need, mutant hunting killer robots."  
  
"Maybe they was it, yo." Todd said trying to be optimistic despite his injury.  
  
"Somehow I really doubt that."  
  
"Hey, look at it this way," Tabby said, "They could have been fifty feet tall."  
  
~*~  
  
So there goes the Gut Bomb, poor Kurt will be so disappointed; I know he loved the food there. Oh well. Next chapter, poor Remy wakes up to find himself in the institute and Hank examines a bit of Sentinel that Kitty thought to bring along. Also both the X-Men and Brotherhood get a look at how the media is skewing the two battles. It looks like a typical government cover up to go along with a secret agenda! As always a REVIEW is like a god unto ME. 


	5. Aces Wild

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the holdup with this chapter, I got real busy trying to do all my school projects which I left each for the last minute. ^.^ That reminds me, I still have to do my global history paper, (due Thursday!) anybody out there know anything about nuclear proliferation in Pakistan? And I still haven't done a lot of my homework.I'm turning into Todd! I'll probably get bad grades in Math, Bio, and maybe global. But English, art, Theo and Gym should make up for it. Ew, the day I look to Gym for salvation. *,*  
  
Anyway back to the story. In this chapter Gambit wakes up and is talks to Xavier and the X-crew and Hank discovers the oddities if Sentinels. Tanks to my Reviewers (All six I've seen so far, better than my other fic!) My muse Vincent insists on saying 'lo. It's his fault this fic exists. Well, his and a fateful math class when I was wondering which Evolution character would be the best kisser. But let's not talk about my psychotic daydreams; let's talk about my sociopathic Fanfiction writing!  
  
'0'! I almost forgot! The real reason I sat down to type this chapter! I found the Evolution comic books at my comic store this morning! And they don't just re-write the episodes! All new X-men: Evolution stories! Go out and buy them! The art is GORGEOUS!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-men, (darn!) I don't own the Brotherhood (Double darn!) I don't own the Sentinels (What kind of psycho do you take me for?) The only thing I do own is Ebony (yay!) You can borrow her as long as you tell me first. I'm not trying to make any money off this so please don't sue me. (I have about as much material wealth as Todd, Honest!) Oh, and just for the record, Terminator belongs to Arnold Schwatzenegger or somebody.  
  
Chapter 5.Aces Wild  
  
It had been four hours since the incident at the mall. Xavier, along with everyone else, had heard the story of what had happened, thankfully before anyone had turned on the evening news. The way channels seven, eight, ten and thirteen were reporting it, several unknown mutants had intentionally raided the mall causing as much destruction as possible. True, there had been some property damages, thought Ebony, they had only been defending themselves, but that wasn't the way Rita O'reily was reporting it.  
  
"If you're just tuning in," the obnoxious news reporter said, "We're here at the Bayville Shopping center and as you can see it sustained heavy damage in an unprecedented mutant attack earlier. Eye witness accounts say that a group of unknown mutants began destroying the mall and attacked three security guards who tried to intervene, resulting in the death of all three. The bodies have however been confiscated by authorities due to heavy mutilation. Similarly at nearly the same time across town another group of mutants caused an explosion at a local fast food restaurant, ending in the deaths of three and the injury of several other bystanders. Police believe the two attacks may have been coordinated. Back to you John."  
  
"Professor, do you think someone else really attacked the Gut Bomb?" Ebony asked, stroking her burned shoulder delicately.  
  
"It's possible, but it seems more likely that it was more of the Sentinels that attacked you in the mall. And unfortunately I do not think this will be an isolated incident."  
  
Ebony nodded and rubbed the bandage on her shoulder, under which was the burn blast she had received from one of the Sentinels. "Sheesh that stung. I really hope you're wrong Professor."  
  
Rogue, who was perched on the edge of the couch asked, "So how's that guy they wuh chasin' Proffesah?"  
  
"He's still unconscious, I'm afraid, but hopefully when he wakes up he'll be able to tell us more about this new threat."  
  
"I don't really think so, Professor, I mean he was getting chased just like us," Kitty put in.  
  
"Perhaps so Kitty, but we must explore every avenue."  
  
"I hope he's okay, those things really hurt and he got hit in the head." Ebony looked worried. "He seemed really cool."  
  
"Hank assures me that he should be fine." Xavier smiled, "ah, here the doctor is now." He gestured to the large, studious-looking man with fur who stood in the doorway.  
  
The Beast grinned, "Well ladies, your stranger has awakened. Charles, I think you wanted to speak with our guest."  
  
"Only if he is up to it."  
  
"He seems well enough. It took quite a bit of convincing to make sure he didn't leap up and run out on us."  
  
Xavier nodded.  
  
Kitty jumped up, "Oh I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, grabbing her purse and opening it. "I thought you might be able to figure out some stuff about these things if you had, like, a piece of one so I grabbed this." She pulled out a slightly charred hand that would have looked very human, if it weren't for the wires protruding from the end.  
  
"Ew." Rogue said simply.  
  
Ebony shuddered.  
  
"Why that will be very helpful!" McCoy declared. "Thank you, that was very sharp of you." He took the severed appendage from her.  
  
Ebony grumbled under her breath, "I would have thought of that if I hadn't been busy getting shot at."  
  
The professor began to wheel himself out of the room, and then looked back, "Would you three like to come along?  
  
The girls looked at each other and all headed for the door at once.  
  
***  
  
In the Brotherhood house the television had also been on.  
  
"Yo, man! They're makin' us look bad on the TV! Sayin' we blew the place up for fun or sumthin'." Toad, lying on the couch with a bandage around his bruised, burnt and generally messed up ribs, winced with the pain of yelling. He hoped he hadn't broken anything.  
  
"So?" Tabby asked, "Not like we wouldn't have."  
  
"Hey! I liked the food there!" Freddy complained.  
  
"That's not the point, Tab, the point is they're blaming us for something we didn't do!" Lance clarified.  
  
"Yeah! It's not fair! They attacked us!" Pietro pouted.  
  
"An' look yo! Somebody else busted up the mall! Bet it was more a' them Terminator freaks." He winced again. Maybe he should just stop talking for a while.  
  
"And what do you want to bet it was the X- Geeks they were chasing?" Lance asked rhetorically.  
  
Pietro nodded emphatically. "I'd say the odds are about mmm, well, they're high, I can say that."  
  
"I wonder how many a' 'em were there, yo," Todd pondered.  
  
Tabby grinned, "It was the mall. My guess is Jean, Scott and Kitty." The rest of the group nodded in agreement.  
  
"But they said there were," Fred thought a minute, "five of them over there too. Who are the other two then?"  
  
"You're right, yo." Todd started coughing just then, which hurt A LOT more than just talking.  
  
"You okay, kid?" Lance asked.  
  
"You try getting' hit wit one a them blasts, yo, see how you feel." He stroked the wound,  
  
"Least it ain't bleedin' y'know. Even if it does hurt like hell."  
  
"Maybe we should take you to a doctor." Freddy said thoughtfully.  
  
"NO!" he yelled then clutched at his chest in pain. "Ow, yo," he whispered hoarsely. He rolled from his side onto his back. "I don' like doctors."  
  
"Oh." Freddy said, "sorry."  
  
"s'okay." He looked back at the TV. "Wonder if any a the X-geeks got tagged."  
  
***  
  
Xavier, Rogue, Ebony and Kitty filed into the medical ward of the Institute. Inside on a bed lay the young man who had previously introduced himself as Remy, he was propped up with pillows and had a bandage around his head.  
  
"Hello Cheres," he said with an impish grin, "Yo miss me while I was out, no? An' you must be Professor X."  
  
"Yes, my name is Professor Charles Xavier, and I run this place, my Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Something of a training ground for mutants to learn how to control and use their powers for the good of others. The girls here tell me that you were being chased by the Sentinels?"  
  
"Zat what they called then?"  
  
He nodded, "Can you possibly tell us why they might have been chasing you?"  
  
"I was jus' doin' a little window shopping when dese goons say Remy under arrest for bein' a mutant. I ask ta see their Id an' they start shotin' an I took off runnin'."  
  
"They fired first?"  
  
"Remy ain't dat unfriendly, mon ami." He said.  
  
"By the way, would you mind telling us just who you are?"  
  
" Sure. My name's Remy LeBeau an' I just got up from New Orleans.Dey sometimes call me Gambit."  
  
"Really, how old are you?"  
  
"Seventeen next birthday." He grinned.  
  
"So you moved up here with your family, is there someone we should call so they know you are alright?"  
  
"Nah, I hitchhiked up here." He said.  
  
"You ran away?" Ebony asked.  
  
"Remy don't have no one to run away from, chere," he smiled.  
  
"You're free to stay here if you like," the professor told him. "The girls tell me that you're a mutant and there are many more of your peers here than you're likely to find anywhere else."  
  
"That sound good but what de catch, eh?" he asked.  
  
"Curfew," Rogue answered immediately.  
  
"School," Ebony told him.  
  
"Training," replied Kitty.  
  
"Training Remy don' mind. I tink I might as well try out de accommodations. After all, Remy wouldn't dream of leavin' a place wit such pretty ladies too soon, now would he?"  
  
The girls blushed a little, especially Rogue.  
  
"You would of course be free to leave if you begin to feel uncomfortable, but we do hope that you will choose to stay." The Professor smiled, "Well, I suppose I'd better go register you at the school then. Do you think you'll be able to start tomorrow?"  
  
"I tink so,"  
  
"And you Ebony, do you feel well enough to go to school tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah," she grumbled, and so the Professor wheeled himself out of the room. "I'm just a little sore, and bruised and burnt."  
  
"You get hurt cause of Remy, petite?"  
  
"It's not that bad," she lied, "I got one of the bast- er, bad guys but the other one blasted my shoulder."  
  
"You pretty good to take out one of dem, petite, tell Remy your secret."  
  
"Um, I control shadows. I can turn into one. Or make them solid. Or apparently make them go boom. My name's Ebony, by the way."  
  
"An' what about you?" he asked Kitty.  
  
"I'm Kitty," she giggled, "I can, like, walk through stuff."  
  
He turned to ask Rogue, but she had disappeared. "Where she get off to?" he asked the remaining two.  
  
"That was Rogue," Kitty told him, "You'll probably meet her at dinner with everyone else. There are a lot of us too."  
  
"An' what can she do?" he asked, curious.  
  
They looked at each other, then Ebony told him quietly, " She absorbs peoples energy, memories, and powers if it's a mutant. She can't touch anyone without hurting them."  
  
"Now dat a shame if there ever was one." Remy stood up. "Now which of you ladies is gonna show me 'round dis place?"  
  
***  
  
Lance was washing the dishes, Tabby and Fred were watching TV, Todd had gone up to his room, and Pietro was busy doing the only thing he did slowly, drawing. None of them knew that they were being watched.  
  
Outside a van had pulled up, it was painted pink and the writing on the side said that it was from Millie's Flower Shop. There was no Millie's Flower Shop in Bayville. Visible in the front seat was what looked like a woman in her late thirties with overly curly brown hair. However concealed in the back were two men in dark suits and dark glasses and there was an Apparatus. One of them sat at a computer monitor operating the Apparatus. The other watched a monitor that displayed the house they were in front of, making sure that no one was coming out. The Apparatus monitor bleeped.  
  
"Presence confirmed," he told the other man, "contact headquarters."  
  
The other one nodded and typed something into his computer, in place of the image of the house another image came. It was the head and shoulders of a man in his forties, he had dark, swept back hair and pale, yellowy skin, covering a thinly drawn face. He was smoking a cigarette.  
  
"Yes?" he asked sharply.  
  
"C-15 reporting. Mutant presence detected. Five anomalies. No humans."  
  
"Good," he said in a quiet voice that dripped satisfied venom, "I want it done in two days time. You know your orders."  
  
The man nodded and canceled the link. Because he was his master's unquestioning servant he did not ask 'why not tonight?' But, had he asked it the man on the computer monitor would have answered, 'because I want them off guard.'  
  
C-15 nodded to the other man who tapped twice on the divider between the front and back of the van. In the front the woman started the van and drove away.  
  
Inside his room Todd had been laying on his mattress which happened to be positioned with a good view of the window, but he wasn't looking out it at the moment. He was laying on his back with his arms crossed under his head staring up at the ceiling with his fool's gold eyes. His shirt was off, his burn was too hot even with just the bandage. And besides, the shirt he'd been wearing, one of the very few he owned, had a gaping burn hole in it. His chest, which unlike his legs didn't have the benefit of mutant enhancement, was bony and you could see his ribs through the bandaging. Because it got very little sun his torso was more pale than green. His worn jeans had received another hole earlier when he'd caught them on something, this time in the low thigh.  
  
He sighed wishing he didn't know what. Wishing that he wasn't a mutant, or that he didn't have such a sucky power, or that everyone would leave him alone or that humanity would just crawl into a hole and die. Or that HE could just crawl into a hole and die.  
  
It wasn't just that he'd gotten hurt. Yeah it was painful but he'd been beat up worse than this more times than he cared to remember. It wasn't even just that somebody was specifically targeting mutants for death by killer robot. It was the fact that THEY were the ones getting blamed for it. That really pissed Todd off, and he wasn't even sure why. It was like somebody was trying real hard to make people hate him and every other mutant more than they already did. And God, or at least the world, knew that most people hated them more than enough already.  
  
His thoughts drifted to those of school and the people in it. Most people ignored him wholesale as though he didn't even exist. Then there were the people who outwardly hated him like Duncan Matthews and his gang, people who acted on that hatred attacking him verbally or physically nearly every day. There were the X- geeks who seemed to exist in some pompous, holier than thou self righteous mixture of the other two. Then there was Ebony. 


	6. Going Insane Falling in Love part 1

Darwinian Rhapsody  
By LejindaryBunny A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Good evening. Welcome to chapter six of this pretty damn good fic. First I would like to start by doing what I said in the first chapter, responding to my reviews.  
  
WritingMoose: I wish my fic was god but good suits me just fine. Yes, the way she yells that is SUPPOSED to be corny; it shows that she is immature. Don't worry though, she won't be for too much longer. Glad you like my fic. ^.^  
  
Akasha: Yes, I love Gambit/Rogue too, as you'll see in this chapter. I'm flattered too!(  
  
Todd fan: You're a happy bunny? I thought that was me? ( I'm glad you like Gambit too, and Todd (See people? I am NOT alone) I certainly can't resist a Cajun accent either!  
  
Red Witch: I most definitely will write more!  
  
Muffin_elf: see above. ^.^  
  
Jacobtakemeunderyourwood: Please, Bridget, I know you're trying to be a good friend but no more dumb reviews. Just stick to your O-town fics.  
  
Well, now that that is out of the way, I have had a slight change of plans. The next four chapters (starting with this one) will occur, just not the way I had originally planned. I was going to have each of those chapters from a first person point of view, however, the real life Mrs. S-Z pointed out to me why that wasn't a good idea. Too many characters spoil the plot I guess. So the next four chapters, which I have deemed the 'Falling in Love' sequence, will just feature a bit more personal thought and introspection than normal. I also am wavering on a side story I had originally planned. Ah well. So, with two days until what's going to happen at the Brotherhood house happens there will be two days (one a chapter) of 'normal' life progressing.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Ebony. I don't own the Star or the Enquirer. I do own Stephen Cruz, Massha Cruz and all the movies mentioned in association with them. I redesigned the sentinels, but marvel owns them too. X-Men: Evolution is owned by Marvel and the W.B., this is for my own and anyone who wants to reads it's free entertainment. Notice the word 'free', I'm not making money, please don't sue me.  
  
Chapter 6.Going Insane ('Falling in Love' part 1)  
  
Waking up for Ebony usually was not the ordeal it was for some; she was part of that dreaded race of Morning People. The alarm rang and she sat up before turning it off. This morning she completely forgot the dream she'd been having, a rather odd one in which it had started snowing, then raining, then raining frogs, like in those 'Mysterious Phenomena' books she liked. She smiled and bounced out of bed and into the shower, humming to herself and taking care not to agitate her burned, bruised, tender shoulder. She took quite a bit of time to thoroughly wash and condition what some considered to be her overly long raven hair. While doing this, as she often did, she considered to herself. What she considered was this.  
  
Perhaps you have completely gone mad. Perhaps, but maybe you've only just come to your senses. How do you know if you are behaving rationally or not? That's a good question, you can't, can you? Let's examine this: why do you like him? You don't know if you do. Nnnnt WRONG! Answer the question. Well, you like him because.um.what is the Colombian drug trade? I'm sorry Alex; I hit the buzzer by accident. Okay, try it another way, what isn't a reason you like.think you like him? Hmmm, well.Can you go back to the original question? FINE just answer something. Well, he seems lonely. He's kind of cute. And well, he seems like a nice-  
  
Someone knocked on the door. "Could you hurry up in there please?"  
  
"Just a minute Amara!" Ebony called out. She rinsed the last of the conditioner out of her hair and decided that thinking in the second person might not be particularly healthy. Then she decided that she didn't really care, turned off the water, formed a towel around herself out of shadow and let Amara have the bathroom. Sauntering to her room she closed the door behind her. She opened her closet, full of all black clothing of course. She hoped for the day when she'd be able to wear normal clothes without them falling off when she turned into a shadow. She picked out a pair of jeans and a shirt with long medieval-esque sleeves. She dissolved the towel away and dressed. Closing the closet door she remembered something that she'd nearly forgotten. She picked up her bag from the mall and put it in her backpack.  
  
Down in the dinning room she joined several other X-students in the same sort of informal breakfast they had everyday, Ebony fetching herself a heavily sugared cup of coffee and a bowl of Oreo Os, no milk. Happily fed she then realized what she HAD forgotten.  
  
"MY HOMEWORK!" she exclaimed, and ran to find someone else in her math class at a speed that only a hyper girl on a sugar high can manage. After five minutes of searching she ran into Rogue who was about to walk out the door.  
  
"Rogue! Rogueroguerogueroguerogue!" she called. Ebony had a feeling that the southern girl was thinking about walking out the door as if she hadn't heard her.  
  
But the girl did turn and asked, "How ya doing Ebony?"  
  
She put on a pleading face, "Um, Rogue, can I please borrow your math homework? I promise I'll get it back to you before class."  
  
She shrugged and fished around in her bag before handing Ebony two sheets on written on graph paper. "Just get it back ta me, alright?"  
  
She nodded emphatically and put the paper in her own bag. From behind them Ebony heard a cool voice with a sweet Cajun accent.  
  
"You two cheres weren't plannin' on walking all de way to school were you?"  
  
She shook her head though Rogue said nothing. "Would you give us a ride?"  
"I'd be delighted, petite, but question is do YOU want ta come chere?" he asked Rogue.  
  
The Goth shrugged again. "Sure, thanks." She flashed him a rare smile.  
  
The two followed him out to his car which had been picked up from the mall parking lot the night before. It was a black convertible with blue flames up the sides.  
  
In the car Remy drove, it was after all his car, and Ebony sat in back because she was a little too short to feel perfectly comfortable in the front, which was where Rogue then sat.  
  
"So, cherie, didn't catch you at breakfast," he said to Rogue.  
  
"Ah wasn't hungry," she told him.  
  
Ebony sort of tuned their following conversation out and turned to her own thoughts. What was he really like? Why had he decided she was worth his time in the first place? He didn't seem to think too many other people were. Or was that a response to the way people acted towards him? If that was the case she wasn't sure how she merited any different treatment, she'd never spoken to him before he'd approached her. That was what was really bothering her now. Why didn't he think she was any different than the other 'X-geeks'? WAS she different? If so was it obvious enough that anyone could tell?  
  
"Well you sure are quiet, petite," Remy grinned. "Somethin' on your mind?"  
  
"Nu-uh," she smiled and shook her head. "Um, so what's New Orleans like?"  
  
"Like nothin' you'd believe, mon amie. Where you from? You no New Yorker."  
  
"Michigan," she said shortly. "Grayling. It's boring and I like it better here."  
  
"You tink de Big Apple good, I take you home wit me, eh? You make a big splash on Bourbon street."  
  
Ebony flushed. Bourbon Street was the street women flashed their breasts for beads on Mardi Gras. "Um, thanks? But I think I like it fine here."  
  
They pulled into the high school parking lot. "Well, maybe I see you cheres later, eh?" He blew them a kiss as they parted ways.  
  
Ebony's first class was, luckily for her, a free this morning. It was a good thing because she had math second and needed a chance to copy Rogue's homework. She signed in in the sparsely populated Cafeteria, which this early only held people who were in her free. She pulled out her notes and graph paper and copied the answers down, careful to change enough so that it seemed like her own work. She was absorbed in the graphs when someone spoke behind her.  
  
"Yo."  
  
Ebony jumped, startled, nearly fell off the chair but managed to regain her balance. "Oh!" she smiled. "Hi." Then she was a little puzzled. "Don't you have gym now?"  
  
"So? Mind if I sit down?" he grinned.  
  
"Go ahead. I'll just be a minute more with this." She scribbled on the paper. "There, all done!" She bit her bottom lip cutely. "The school I went to in Michigan was an all girls Catholic school, so I always had this evil nun nazi breathing down my neck in study halls."  
  
"You went to school with a bunch of nuns? Did they hit your knuckles like in movies?"  
  
"Nope they just yelled at you, and gave you detention for practically ANYTHING. I even had to wear a uniform."  
  
"Man that sucks. So how are ya?"  
  
She rubbed her shoulder; "Crispy fried."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She grimaced, "You probably saw it on the news. That supposed 'mutant attack' on the mall. That was me and Kitty and Rogue, only we were the ones being attacked. By these robot thingies that called themselves Sentinels. One of them hit me with some laser in the shoulder."  
  
"So you guys really were the other one that got attacked, yo! We thought so."  
  
"You were at the Gut Bomb? Did you get hurt?" she looked concerned.  
  
"Yeah. These things that were like Terminators big brother came at us and one of 'em got me in the ribs."  
  
Ebony chewed her lip. "That must have hurt! Are you okay?"  
  
"Eh, been worse."  
  
"I can't believe someone would build robots just to hunt mutants." She pouted. "And then they tell people we started it! And that those things we blasted were humans. It's like they're trying to make us sound like monsters."  
  
Todd nodded. "'S what a lot of em think already. Sucks yo." He ran a hand through his hair. It was dirty again, she noticed. It must get that way very fast. "Humans are scum."  
  
For some reason Ebony brightened at that 'cheerful' thought. "I almost forgot! At the mall yesterday I saw this shirt and well, I can't wear it but I thought you would like one." She reached in her backpack and pulled out an oversized black T-shirt that said in white letters 'Humans Suck!'.  
  
Todd was surprised; she'd bought something for him?  
  
"Unless you don't want it." she fretted.  
  
"Nah, 's really cool, yo!" he exclaimed. "'S just I didn't get nothin' for you."  
  
She beamed, "That's okay, I just thought you might like it."  
  
"I do. 'S my style, yo." He thought for a moment. What could he get her? He didn't know what she liked at all. Think Toad! He was drawing a blank. "You wanna see a movie after school?" he blurted, sure that he'd regret it.  
  
First Ebony blinked, then she clapped happily. 'Sure! Um, what movies are playing."  
  
"Um. 'Roses at Midnight' or 'Attack of the Curse of the Revenge of the Return of the Blood-Eatin', Brain Suckin', Soul Stealin' Zombie Werewolf Vampires from Mars part VII'."  
  
"The new movie by Stephen Cruz? Can we see that one? It's supposed to have his daughter in it as the Martian Zombie Werewolf Vampire Princess." Ebony grinned, Stephen Cruz was a B-movie writer/director who made millions on camp 'horror' films like 'The Wrath of Dr. Kavorkiandstein's Creation'. The 'Zombie Werewolf Vampire' series was supposedly his masterpiece. "People say I look like her only shorter, what do you think?"  
  
"Like who, yo?"  
  
"Massha Cruz, the actress, she's only a year older than me you know. But she's 5'11." Ebony pouted.  
  
"A little," Todd said, "you've got a better nose though."  
  
She nodded. "Did you know, it's all over the tabloids right now, apparently she recently moved to England to go to some boarding school and the 'Star' says she's dating a vampire. The 'Enquirer' insists that she's joined some witch cult. But they both agree there's some sort of Adoption Scandal and she's apparently English. I always thought she didn't look very much like a California girl."  
  
Todd nodded, listening more to the fact that she WAS talking than what she was talking about. He was still rather stunned that she had consented, eagerly in fact, to go to the movie with him. Then he realized that alarm bells were going off in the back of his head and why. He had no money. Crap. Well, he'd get some by the end of the day; rob from the rich so to speak.  
  
"So you don't mind seeing that one? Or do you want to see 'Roses at Midnight'?" she didn't think he would, but he'd surprised her recently before.  
  
"Nah, I like monster movies, yo. So, where should I meet you after school? Steps, locker?" Then he thought of something else. "Yo, uh, Ebony I don't normally drive or nothin'."  
  
She smiled yet again. "That's okay. The theatre's not far. I don't mind walking. And you can meet me at my locker if you want but we have got last class together."  
  
He nodded again.  
  
The bell rang, "Oh dear. Math class." She gathered her things. "Coming? Or are you going to skip again?" He grabbed his bag.  
  
***  
  
All day Todd couldn't stop thinking about Ebony. He wondered why she'd agreed to come to the movies. Had she wanted to see the vampire thingy that bad? Or was it pity for him? That word was accompanied by a bitter taste in his mouth. Pity the one thing that he dint want. Or was it even possible that she actually wouldn't mind seeing a movie with him.maybe even enjoyed his company? Now he knew he was getting his own hopes up. But he didn't care; it was a nice thought, even if it wasn't true.  
  
He skipped lunch in order to swipe enough money for the movies. Picking pockets was his forte and he figured fifty should be enough even if she wanted to get dinner afterwards or something. Yeah, like that'd happen.  
  
Global History was the only class in which he sat behind her instead of vice versa and he spent the entirety of it staring awkwardly at the back of her head, instead of taking notes on the Babylonian Empire. Her hair was very long and very black but somehow it shined without having any color in it at all. It went down well past her waist and fell around her hips. He knew she had eyes that were such a dark blue that they were quite nearly black, but they were laughing, not cold. Like a moonlit midnight, he thought. Then he cursed himself for being a poet, or even trying.  
  
'Dammit Tolensky!' he told himself. 'Get it through your thick, slimy-ass skull that she DOES NOT LIKE YOU.' How could she? She had apparently been chasing the elf freak and you saw how she was checking out that new guy with the duster, Dreamy or whatever his stupid name is. She's just going to the movies with you because...why the hell is she going to the movies with you? Maybe she thinks it's funny. I bet she's just laughin' it up with her friends. 'Look everybody, Toad actually thought I was SERIOUS when I said I'd go to the movies with him! Can you believe it?' Wouldn't be the first time. How could you ever think she was different? .Because she is different, I can see that as well as I can see her god damn beautiful smile. And I donno if that means she's the first real being with feeling I've met or if she's just found bigger and better ways to be sadistic but so help me at this point I don't give a damn!  
  
***  
  
Ebony couldn't stop about Todd all day. She skipped lunch and borrowed Kitty's makeup kit (thank gawd she like, never went anywhere without it) and put on just a little blush, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. Not much but without it she was pale almost to the point of not having a complexion at all.  
  
Their last class was Earth Science which seemed to drag on forever, a time during which their teacher discussed nothing but sedimentary rocks and the fact that children in Hawaii didn't go to school. Finally after what seemed like six pages (and was actually four) of pointless notes, (they didn't have to write down the bit about the Hawaiians) the last bell rang. Not realizing, or even caring that there were a million people around and would be just as many rumors the next day, she turned to Todd, who sat in the row next to her.  
  
"Ready to go?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, yo," he sounded just a little nervous and Ebony realized that she couldn't blame him, she was exceedingly nervous herself.  
  
They didn't talk much until they were free from the claustrophobia of the state institution and safely onto a public street.  
  
"Um, did you remember to tell your friends you weren't riding home with them?" she asked.  
  
"Yup, you?"  
  
She nodded, "I asked Rogue to tell Remy I wouldn't be coming. He's the mutant the Robots were originally chasing at the mall."  
  
"He crashin' at the Institute?" Remy, that's what the Duster jerk's name was. What a dumb name.  
  
"Yeah, he says he might leave though, so don't be too surprised if he turns up at your place."  
  
Todd shrugged.  
  
Once at the theatre he had to insist that he buy the tickets and everything, Ebony almost wouldn't let him but backed down when he said the money wasn't exactly his anyway.  
  
"You want anything, yo?"  
  
"Just popcorn," she said merrily, "And Pepsi if you don't mind, or do they have Coke here?" she was thoughtful, "Did you know diet Pepsi tastes like regular Coke? I've never been able to figure out why."  
  
He ended up buying two Pepsis, a large popcorn and a box of gummy worms. The movie turned out to be packed but they were early enough that they got decent seats. Before the feature they heckled commercials and celebrity trivia a bit. After all who really cared how much the stuffing Brittany Spears padded her bra with in her last video sold for on e-bay?  
  
The actual movie was rather confusing. As far as Todd could tell the Martian race, (who were also wolf-like vampires, many of whom were mindless zombies) had been trying to take over earth since the fourth Ugblatt Dynasty. It was now the twelfth Ugblatt dynasty. The Emperor Zerosu was attempting hostile takeover once again and had sent his Daughter Princess Runa in command of the first shuttle. While the mindless drones were busy soul stealin' blood eatin' and brain suckin' she met the son of the U.S. president whose name is Michael and fell in love with him. Realizing their love they go to tell their respective fathers that there should be peace between the two planets. President C. Phied has advocated peace all along but Runa's father decrees that she be locked away until conquest is finished. Somehow she gets an SOS to her love, who disguises himself as a Martian and sneaks aboard to rescue her. Discovered by the guards he is hacked to pieces before her very eyes and when she tries to save him the Mindless Drones kill her as well. They die in each other's arms, the entire scene taking place while they sing a corny duet about their undying love for one another. Upon discovering their children's deaths the two rulers reconcile with one another and there is peace between the planets in honor of their love. Until the next movie.  
  
It was during the love duet that something Todd really hadn't expected happened. Ebony began crying, first sniffling, then a few tears, then she was sobbing openly into his shoulder. He really didn't know what to do.  
  
'Aw man! She cryin' what do I do now? Should I try and comfort her? Will she think I'm making a pass at her? Am I making a pass at he? Yo, my shoulder is gonna be soaked if I don't do something!'  
  
He put his arm around her, "don't cry, yo," he whispered, "I'm, um, sure they get brought back in the sequel?"  
  
She was shaking, "I know but *sniff* it's so SAD and I always *hiccup* get emotional like this!"  
  
He sort of petted her until the movie wound to a close and her sobs subsided and the lights came on. She rubbed her eyes and sniffed she gave a weak smile. "I should have warned you I was likely to do that," she said as they left the theatre, "Thanks for not being embarrassed to be seen in public with me like that." She wiped her face with a napkin. "I must look disgusting like this."  
  
Todd stopped and did a double take. A girl had just gone to the movies with him the Toad and she was glad he wasn't embarrassed to be seen with her? He'd had his arm around her and she was saying she must look disgusting? He searched for something to say, knowing he must look like an idiot just standing there. "Nah, you're one a' those lucky girls who stay pretty when they cry, yo." Wait a minute, had he just said that she was pretty? Wait for the rebuke...  
  
She bit her lip. "You're completely wrong but thanks, that's really sweet of you.Wow, did I get all that on your shirt? I'm really sorry."  
  
"'Sokay yo, I don' mind. Hey are you okay to walk back to the Institute or do you want me to walk with you?"  
  
Ebony smiled, "I'm fine now, really. You'd better get back too, it's getting late."  
  
A few blocks from the theatre was where their paths diverged and they had to take separate streets home.  
  
"Thanks for asking me to the movie I really had fun." She was back to her cheerful self now.  
  
"Thanks for comin' yo." He grinned.  
  
"Any time!"  
  
Then she did something else altogether unexpected. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, saying 'bye' and traipsing away before his paralysis wore off. When it did he practically bounced the entire way back to the boarding house.  
  
***  
  
I hope you like the chapter because it's a bit longer than usual and I was up till midnight writing it! That might explain some of the end bits, eh? Not that I wasn't going to write them. Well tell me what you think of it. I appreciate both constructive criticism and non-constructive praise. Next chapter Falling in love part 2, Truth or Consequences! 


	7. Truth Falling in Love pat 2

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hi again! *Cheerfully bounces* I have to be overly cheerful like Ebony or I get depressed like Todd. *Pouts* I hope you all liked the last chapter, it practically wrote itself. (And kept me up way too late in the process.) However the downside to Ebs and Todd writing the last chapter by themselves and leaving me out of the creative process is frustrating. Now I have to slip an extra chapter into the Falling in love sequence (this one) because I didn't get to finish day 1 in one chapter. Therefor this chapter takes place only a few minutes after last chapter, instead of the next day as I had originally planned. Thanks to all my reviewers! Ah reviews! My anti-depressant.  
  
Red Witch: You'll have to keep reading for more on the cover up!  
  
Muffinelf: I'm glad you think I write Gambit really well. Yes, those Sentinels were just plain dumb.  
  
Todd Fan: Have I mentioned that you are one of the coolest people in the universe? I'm glad my story made your day: your reviews make mine.( Your favorite story? Is it really?  
  
Foxglove33: *gack! * Fox honey, Bunny can't breath! *Recovers from hug* I can't believe I made it onto your favorites list. Anything special you want to see in the fic? Glad to have another Todd fan aboard. (Gee, who else would read this?)  
  
Akasha: Another person who thinks I write Gambit really well? Does that mean I really do? Was last chapter soon enough for you?  
  
Neva: Glad you think that I'm witty. Hope you like the rest of the fic too. ^.^  
  
Cara: I watched that too (duh)! I think they should have left Rogue like she was from that. I understand that they had a character personality type roster to fill though.  
  
About this chapter. You're going to see a little bit of a new side of Ebony in these next two bits. There was a glimmer of it in the first chapter but it's a little more obvious here. It's how she acts when she's not very happy with someone. (Don't worry she's upset with Todd!)  
  
Disclaimer: Anything that you don't recognize is probably mine, unless of course you've never heard of x-men. I own Ebony and little else.  
  
Chapter 7.Truth (Falling in Love part 2)  
  
The sky was quickly darkening as Ebony walked back from the movies, it was after all, the middle of winter. Even with her black jacket pulled tightly around her the air seemed distinctly colder than it had a few moments before, when she had had to part ways with Todd. She smiled quietly to herself; well at least she knew she was stuck for it. She definitely liked him. She sniffed, still a bit teary from the movie. Yes she knew it was just a space alien rehash of Romeo and Juliet, but it was still sweet.  
  
At the time she hadn't really been paying attention, too focused on the movie and her sobs, but now she remembered that Todd had put his arms around her while she was crying. His arms were wiry as was the rest of his build, but not quite bony. His hands a little bit cooler in temperature than normal and were also very smooth. like silk. Ebony giggled. Who cared if people thought she was weird, she liked him. There was only one question. Did he like her? And if so how much?  
  
Part of her thought, well duh, of course he likes you. He asked you to the movies didn't he? But the other part of her, the insecure part that whispered things to her wasn't so sure. He could have just asked you as a friend, or just in return for the shirt. And even if he didn't, even if he does like you back, is it worth it? You know what they'll say in school. 'Can you believe it? She's the Toad's girlfriend! Ew, I'd kill myself first.' Or 'if it was me, I wouldn't date him if he was the last guy on earth.' Then there was the fact that it would most likely ruin her chances of ever having another date in her life if things didn't work out.  
  
Ebony shook her head as though to clear the thoughts from it and bit her bottom lip. She shivered as the temperature dropped and contemplated going the rest of the way in shadow form. But she wasn't far now and she didn't want to risk getting lost; it was much harder to find her way in the dark world.  
  
For a moment she managed to keep her thoughts on normal things, like how cold it was and the amount of homework that she'd have to do when she got back, and then she realized, the amount of explaining as well. She hadn't told anyone where she was going or when she'd be back. It was three hours after school let out and it was quite possible that the Professor was looking for her by now. Then she remembered something else, and knew that he'd be wondering where she was. They'd had group training in the Danger room this afternoon.  
  
She glowered at handy snow bank, which had done absolutely nothing wrong.  
  
"Rats," she 'swore' gnawing on her lip. Now there was no way she was going to keep this from the rest of the X-men. Xavier would want an explanation and wouldn't take 'I was out' for an answer, and he'd know if she was lying.  
  
A curse on psychics! May they all get lost at a UFO convention and go mad!  
  
And not only would the news be out, but also the Professor would definitely ground her for missing training. Briefly she considered turning around and just not going back to the Institute, after all she'd run away before, why not again? Because she hadn't had time to find another place to hang out in Bayville and staying with the Brotherhood would be a bit awkward at this point.  
  
So she sighed a heavy sigh as she rounded the corner to the block that was taken up be Xavier's school for 'gifted youngsters'.  
  
Inside the Professor had indeed been waiting for her. He was sitting in his wheelchair in the large mansion entryway; Scott Summers looming arrogantly behind him.  
  
"We were about to go looking for you," Scott said.  
  
"Yes, we were worried about you. Where were you?"  
  
"And why exactly did you miss training?"  
  
For a moment she wavered between trying to play innocent to apply for sympathy or to be completely unperturbed about it and show them that she wasn't always the sweet, helpless little girl she came off as. She decided on the latter.  
  
Ebony shrugged fluidly, "I was busy," she said coolly.  
  
"What were you doing?" the Professor asked, hands folded on his lap.  
  
"I was at the movies," the tiny girl informed him with studied carelessness, running a hand through her dark hair.  
  
"Did you forget that you were supposed to have group practice in the Danger room?" Scott interrogated.  
  
"No," she lied smartly.  
  
"It's dangerous for you to about out alone," the Professor said worriedly, "with the Sentinels hunting-"  
  
She cut him off, deciding to get the inevitable over with and at least be able to enjoy their reactions. "Oh, I wasn't alone Professor."  
  
"I don't think a human-"  
  
She cut his sentence off again, "It wasn't with a human" she informed him merrily.  
  
"I'm afraid all the other recruits are accounted for, Ebony."  
  
"Oh, I wasn't with anyone from here," she said brightly. "I was with Todd."  
  
There was silence. Both the Professor and his star pupil looked stupidly at the beaming girl. The effect would have been perfect if Xavier's mouth had fallen open and Scott's glasses had slipped down on his nose. But sometimes Drama didn't always agree with life. We'll have to make do with the fact that they both blinked at least twice.  
  
"Todd Tolensky? The Toad?" Scott finally managed; baffled  
  
She cocked her head in cute confusion, "Is there another Todd in school? He asked me this morning and I figured it'd be worth skipping training. How long am I grounded for, Professor?" she asked him blithely.  
  
"Three days, I'm afraid; you need to take training more seriously." Xavier somehow managed to look unflapped and unflappable as always.  
  
Ebony nodded and skipped smugly up to her room. Once inside her own territory with the door closed she crossed her arms. "So nyah," she told them.  
  
Her room was not the way she would have ideally wanted it she hadn't had enough time yet to put any posters up or anything. But it had a bed and a dresser, a bookcase and her CD player. She pursed her lips. Music, she needed music. She walked over to the dresser (which had her stereo on it) and flipped through the CD rack/holder thingy. David Bowie, The GooGoo Dolls, the Bangles, the GoGos, Aqua, the Sailor Moon soundtrack, Everclear, the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, then she found it, Counting Crows. Into the CD player it went. Then she sat down on her bed to think and promptly forgot that there was music at all.  
  
She lay on her stomach with her chin in her hands. "And what do you think of this mess, Mr. Fuzzy?" she addressed the stuffed snow leopard whom she'd had since she was five. His fur was by then more of a gray/brown than white by now and his spots blended with the rest of him but that wasn't the point. "No, I know you haven't met him yet. I was asking if you thought it was fair that I got grounded.So? It's just training.No I don't want to die messily.Don't you take that tone with me!.Okay I'm sorry.Oh, you want to hear about him?.Well he's a little over six inches taller than me.Yes I AM aware that everyone past fourth grade is taller than me.Look, do you want to hear this or not?"  
  
***  
  
Todd had found his way home in a daze; he now stood at the door of the Brotherhood house. He quite nearly forgot to knock, standing outside the door for several minutes grinning, before he realized that something was amiss.  
  
"Somebody lemme in, yo," he called, rapping on the door.  
  
Pietro answered the door as usual. "Hey Toddy boy, where you been! Todd? Hey, Todd you okay man?"  
  
The young mutant nodded mutely still grinning like an idiot.  
  
"You.wanna come in?" he asked mind boggled by his friend's seemingly out of character behavior.  
  
Todd nodded emphatically and followed the speedster indoors.  
  
Lance walked into the room. "Well, look who's finally back. Where have you been all day?"  
  
"Movies, yo. 'Attack of the Curse of the Revenge of the Return of the Blood Eatin' Brain Suckin' Soul Stealin' Zombie Werewolf Vampires from Mars part VII'"  
  
"If the movie was as long as the title no wonder you're late," Lance said.  
  
Tabitha sauntered in, "The one by Stephen Cruz? Isn't it supposed to be a love story or something? A tragedy?"  
  
He nodded again. "A B-movie."  
  
"How was it?" she asked.  
  
He shrugged.  
  
Lance noticed something, "uh, what happened to your shirt, Todd?"  
  
Pietro blinked, looked from the grin on the boy's face to his still quite damp shirt and exclaimed, "OH! I GET IT!" and promptly burst out into gales of laughter.  
  
"What is it Pietro, c'mon tell me," Tabitha begged.  
  
He sniggered, "Hee, aha, heh, he, Toad, *snort*, *chuckle*."  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" Lance asked, curiously.  
  
"Yo, I'm still in the room people," Todd finally managed.  
  
Finally Pietro's giggle fit subsided and he wiped his eyes. He put an arm around Todd and a fist to his own chest; "Our little Todd is finally growing up." He sniffed Dramatically, "I'm.so proud."  
  
"Will you spit it out already Speedy?" Lance demanded.  
  
"Get off me already," Todd said, shoving the slender boy away from him, "'S no big deal yo, I uh, went to the movies. With Ebony yo."  
  
"Woohoo," Tabby said, "That is news."  
  
"Good for you Todd," Lance said.  
  
"Did you kiss her? C'mon man, tell me you did!" Pietro seemed excited.  
  
The lanky freshman blushed, embarrassed. "Not xactley yo." He mumbled. Then even less audibly he continued. "She kinda, nah, she really started cryin' yo an' I kinda just put my arm around her, yo. An' then we was walking home and shmm mumble mumble."  
  
"Didn't catch that, Toddy."  
  
"She. kinda kissed me, yo. But not really, yo," he told the platinum blonde almost defensively.  
  
Pietro rubbed his hands together. "Not bad for your first date ever my friend. Not bad at all!"  
  
"It wasn't a date yo."  
  
"She let you put your arm around her right? Then it was a date and she knows it."  
  
From the other room Freddy called, "You guys! The movie's on!" Lance and Tabby, not seeing much point in staying, left.  
  
"Now," Pietro said drawing Todd aside, "You let the Master help you and there's no way you can go wrong."  
  
"I don't need any help, yo, I don't think it was even really a-"  
  
Pietro's puppy eyes stopped him, "Aw, come on, please."  
  
Todd crossed his arms and sank down onto the couch. "Fine yo, put don't 'spect me to do everything you say just cuz."  
  
"Of course not! It's always your choice whether to use my expert advice or not." He sat down next to Todd and put his arm around him, "Now let's see-"  
  
"Yo," he said mockingly, "This mean we're on a date?"  
  
Pietro removed his arm. "You're not my type. Now like I was saying.ehem. Okay first. Hmmm, where to start? I've never had such an unspoiled student! I know! I've got this cologne that will drive girls wild. She'll be-" He noticed his raised eyebrow. "Or maybe you should start with something more basic. Hold on a sec." He disappeared for literally a split second before running back in with a good-sized bottle. "Here."  
  
"Whas it smell like, yo?" he asked.  
  
"Sorta vanillay, try some on."  
  
He did so, rather self-consciously.  
  
Pietro paused a minute, presumably smelling his friend. "Good. That'll do for now. You can keep it by the way. It doesn't mesh with my personal fragrance. Now where were we?"  
  
***  
  
Well I hope you liked the chapter. I know it's a little short but that's because it was originally supposed to be part of last chapter (before both parts doubled in size). Tell me what you think, especially of how I write Pietro, I'm not sure if I have his personality quite right yet. Praise and constructive criticism is appreciated, flames will be used to heat the Brotherhood house. 


	8. Consequences Falling in Love part 3

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hello again! Sorry I couldn't post yesterday, but had to write this nasty Global History report about Deforestation in Brazil and Nuclear Proliferation in Pakistan and that's all I had a chance to type. Don't think you wanted me post that didja? ^.^ Well thanks to all my reviewers. Gee, I'm mildly popular! I love you guys you make my day.  
  
WarKnyte: Glad you like it. Hope to keep you reading! ^.^  
  
Red Witch: I thought the date was cute too! Todd's a sweetie isn't he? All the troubled ones are. Pietro is indeed the dating master. The question is who he dates. ^.^ You don't absolutely have to say it, but it does keep up my morale!  
  
Akasha: I try to update once a day! (Sometimes homework gets in the way though, ()  
  
Linkin-spike: I'm happy that you're happy with Remy. Sorry about the lack of Rogue's POV, I'm putting it in this chapter instead! I tell you I have been a Gambit/Rogue fan since second grade, literally.  
  
Foxglove33: I try to balance my writing! Glad you think I pull it off well. ^.^ Some authors try to be funny and fail miserably. I only do that in real life! Some writers try to be dramatic and fail pitifully. I do that in reality too! Some writers try to be romantic and fail utterly. I haven't gotten a chance to do that yet! That's right, Bunny's never had a boyfriend.( (And already I'm 16, whahhhhhhh!) I really do go to an all girls school! *hugs Foxy* YOU are the one who RULES!  
  
Wizardess: ummmm.glad you like Todd so much?  
  
Todd Fan: It really is your favorite? I'm so glad!!! *hugs her* You're my Best Friend. Yep. How much you wanna bet Piety has a few more tips up his sleeve? And maybe a few setups hm?  
  
By the way, I have some good news for y'all! This Monday (April 15) I'll be getting the Internet for my computer at home! Do you know what that means? That means that not only will I be able to update over spring break (I was wondering what I'd do about that!) I'll also be building my own Evolution website! You'll get to see all my cute pics of everybody! I'm a good artist, anime style. I've been drawing four five years now. You can see Ebony! And my cute pic of Todd in his Humans Suck! T-shirt. I have stuff of the Brotherhood and Remy too. And of course the fic will be up there. Should I leave in the author's notes?  
  
I found the perfect song for Ebony to Todd! Michelle Branch's All You Wanted. Number three on the CD, listen to it! Here's the refrain if you can't though. .If you want to, I can save you. I can take you away from here. So lonely inside, so busy out there and all you wanted was somebody who cares.  
  
Isn't it perfect?  
  
What's that? You want to know about this chapter? Oops, kinda got on a tangent there. ( Okay, this chapter is the next day (after the Date) in school. You can imagine what kind of rumors there are even if people just saw her talking to him at the end of science! But there's more! Like I said a minute ago the Rogue POV is in this chapter. And the chapter after this? If this on doesn't run long it will be just what the Men in the Flower truck were up to.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Ebony, I managed to come up with her powers all by myself then found out that guy on Static Shock did practically the same thing! (He's creepy though, Ebony's much cooler! I don't own X-men. I don't own the Brotherhood. Todd is however my personal court jester and consort. (The fact that Marvel created him is merely a technicality!) Um, I'm not sure who owns The Magic School Bus, but I assure you that it isn't me.  
  
Chapter 8.Consequences (Falling in Love part 3)  
  
For Todd getting out of bed in the morning was an ordeal. The alarm would ring and he wouldn't even bother to get up and turn it off; he'd use his tongue to press the snooze alarm. Then he'd roll over and pull the covers up over him and sleep for ten more minutes. The alarm would ring again, (actually it was more of a harsh buzzing sound) and that time he'd sort of bat at it blindly with his hand muttering until he turned it off. Opening one eye he'd glare sluggishly at the alarm and try desperately to remember why he bothered attending school, or even waking up before three in the afternoon.  
  
Usually the reason he'd come up with was something like 'what if the school burns down and I don't get to watch?' or 'What if Duncan Matthews chokes to death on his Jell-O and I'm not there to laugh in his face?'  
  
This morning was no different; except for one thing.  
  
He lay sprawled across the bed sort of half on his side, half on his back. One arm was thrown over above his head the other hanging off the side of the bed. His feet hung off the end slightly. The blankets had been wrestled down around his waist during the night revealing had anyone been in the room, his bare, burned chest and a little of his green and blue plaid boxers.  
  
The alarm rang and an annoying buzzing sound broke the confines of his dream. Less than half awake his tongue flashed from his mouth and hit the snooze button. He made a sort of snorting sound of satisfaction and turned over, grumbling.  
  
"Stupid..'larm.people sleepin' yo." He pulled the blanket up over his bare shoulder from where it had slipped. For ten minutes he lay in a pleasantly foggy state between sleeping and waking. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew there was something he wanted to remember, something that had happened the night before. But at this point it wasn't as important as holding on as long as possible to the last vestiges of his slumber.  
The alarm went on again.  
"Shut up!" he muttered unpleasantly, whacking at the alarm until he managed to turn in off. He rolled onto his back and opened an eye, glowering at the clock for daring to inform him that he had forty-five minutes to get to school. Why the heck did he go to school again? Not like they were teaching anything useful, maybe he should just.then he remembered. Ebony. For a moment he decided that it must have been a dream. Then he realized that if it had been real he ought to have the ticket stub in his pocket still.  
  
He sat up lethargically and ran a hand through his hair, which didn't do anything for the tangled mess. He grabbed his ratty jeans which were lying in a heap where he'd left them and searched the pockets. He pulled out a slip of paper and gazed at it blearily. Sure enough it was the ticket for the campy horror movie he'd seen the night before, with Ebony.  
  
With some effort he stumbled to the bathroom. He stared at the shower. Should he bother? It had only been a few days after all. He shrugged. Didn't know why he was bothering but he might as well.  
  
In the shower he turned the water onto cold, it helped him wake up. Not that the house really had an abundance of hot water anyway. He scrubbed himself quickly and washed his hair with the cheap stuff they had. Tabby had some for herself but anyone who touched it was dead.  
  
He got out as quickly as humanly (or mutantly, well, no not mutantly, I suppose Pietro could have been faster) possible. He toweled off and went back to his room as Tabby was coming up to shower. She seemed marginally surprised that Todd had been there.  
  
In his room again he pulled on his jeans and eyed the shirt on the floor. It was of course the same one he'd worn the day before. He'd always felt a sort of supreme apathy for the way he dressed, what reason did he have to care? This morning however he felt instead, a vague need to wear something clean. But that was the only shirt he had, since the other one was ruined.  
  
Then he recalled the gift he'd gotten the day before, the one that had given him the nerve to ask her to the movies. He pulled a black T-shirt from his book bag in the corner. He looked at it.  
  
'Humans Suck!' it proclaimed.  
  
"Damn straight yo." He pulled it on. He looked at his clock. Almost time to leave. He picked up the bag and walked toward the door. On his way out he caught a glimmer of the small bottle sitting on his dresser. Huh, well, what could it hurt? He picked up the bottle and eyed it for a moment apprehensively. Then he shrugged and put on some of the cologne that Pietro had given him. He was right, it did smell vanillay. Then, after having taken three or four times as long to get ready as he usually did (although his hair was still wet and unbrushed) he walked downstairs.  
  
In what passed as the dining room Freddy and Lance were finishing up their breakfast, Tabby was presumably still in the bathroom doing her make up and Pietro was watching The Magic School Bus, for lack of anything better to do. Todd sat down on the arm of the couch to wait until it was time to go.  
  
Pietro grinned at him, "Looking good man."  
  
"Whatever yo," he replied apathetically. "There anything better on? What we stealin' cable for if we ain't gonna watch it?"  
  
"Oh, but it's amusing! And educational. This is the episode where they visit Ralphy's Spleen."  
  
He snorted. "I ever tell you you're real messed up?"  
  
"Hmmmm, I think so. Nice shirt by the way. Where'd ya get it?"  
He mumbled his answer. "Ebony gave it to me yo."  
  
The platinum blonde nodded. He glanced into the kitchen. "Ah, looks like it's time to go," he said as Lance finished breakfast and Tabby came downstairs.  
  
***  
  
At the institute Ebony woke effortlessly as usual, but for once lay in bed wondering whether or not it would be worth leaving her room at all, ever. But of course, her optimism, or maybe it was just habit, prevailed and she readied herself for school, trying to prepare herself mentally for stares and rejection and headed to the dining room. The room was more filled with people than it usually was; unfortunately for her, and when she entered it, for just a moment, everyone stopped.  
  
***  
  
Ah was standin' in the back of the dining room with everyone else, but Ah wasn't eating. The rumor had spread like wildfiah the night before, but unlike everyone else Ah wasn't there to gawk. Ah was there to make sure that the poor girl didn't break down under the weight a stares and whispers. Ah know about stares and whispers. Ebony hadn't come in yet but everyone was exchangin' what they had heard.  
  
"Ah HATE gossip," Ah whispered under mah breath, listening so Ah'd know just what the poor girl was up against.  
  
"Did you hear?"  
  
"From the Brotherhood."  
  
"The Toad? You're kidding!"  
  
".ditched Danger room practice so."  
  
"So Scott told Jean and."  
  
".Talking after science class."  
  
".in her study hall. He skipped class to."  
  
"Do you know who saw them last night?"  
  
"That kid, Jamie? Why was he."  
  
".at the movies."  
  
"Yeah! I saw them! The ugly guy, he had he arm around her."  
  
".some love movie I bet!"  
  
".says she was crying on his shoulder!"  
  
".heard they were kissing."  
  
"Ew! Doesn't he have that."  
  
".you mean the guy with that tongue?!"  
  
"I heard he blackmailed her."  
  
Ah didn't know how much of it to believe, how much was distortions and how much was just plain not true. Ah didn't really get time to wonder because she walked in, an' the room froze. Ah saw her stop and look up and around the room, and Ah saw her expression change from her familiar smile to one Ah woulda been more comfortable seeing in the mirror. It was a look that shut the world out and told it to crawl inta a pit an' die.  
  
Someone said something, Ah'm not even sure who it was, but Ah just wanted to smack them.  
  
"So is it.true?"  
  
"Is what true," she asked in an icy whisper, knowing the reply Ah'm sure.  
  
"That you're dating the Toad."  
  
Her eyes hardened further, if that was possible and she said in a dead voice. "Yeah."  
  
The room exploded again.  
  
"Ew, you're not serious!"  
  
"How can you."  
  
"He's so."  
  
".eats bugs!!!"  
  
".smells bad."  
  
".never showers..."  
  
"Are you nuts?"  
  
Ebony didn't stay to hear it, and Ah couldn't blame her. She turned on her heel with the feral grace of some solitary black wildcat, and swept from the room. Ah tried to follow her but it was hard to get through the crowd. When Ah finally made it out of the room she was sitting on the long stairway her hands over her eyes, Ah was sure she was crying. Ah sat down next to her.  
  
"What do you want? Come to ask me if he accidentally swallowed my appendix?"  
  
Under other circumstance Ah woulda laughed. "Ah just wanted to see if you wuh okay."  
  
"I'm fine," she growled. "He didn't hurt me."  
  
"Ah meant if you wuh lettin' those losers get to ya. An' Ah can see that ya are."  
  
She looked up.  
  
"Now Ah may not know why your datin' Todd, but Ah do know that you must know what your doin', an' if ya know what your doin' then ya can't let idiots stop ya with nothin' but their own stupidity."  
  
She sniffed. "But they're right, I am weird!" she wailed.  
  
Ah ran a hand ovah muh glove a little bitterly. "Sugah, in case you forgot, we're mutants."  
  
"But, oh Rogue."her voice broke and she began to sob again.  
  
An' then Ah noticed someone standin' at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Something wrong, cheres? Maybe Remy can help."  
  
Remy LeBeau was the most unfortunate thing in mah life an' Ah had only met him two days ago. He was tall, mysterious and handsome an' his Cajun accent was entrapping. Ah was hopelessly in love with him an' it made me want to die. Ah ran muh hand ovah muh glove again.  
  
Ebony couldn't talk for the moment so Ah answered for her. "Ebony's havin' some social problems an the gossip ain't helpin'"  
  
"Ah, so dat de ting everybody talkin' about." He looked at Ebony, "Petite, you don' listen to what anybody say but you. Eh, what you say Ah take you cheres to school 'gain. We can take de long route this time an' you can get a little air before you need to talk to no one, non?"  
  
She nodded weakly and stood up. "Thanks," she whispered.  
  
We walked out ta the car without anybody noticin' an' Ebony got in back. Ah sat next to Remy in the front.  
  
He glanced back at Ebony once before we got goin'. "Ah don' think she wanna talk right now, eh Cherie?"  
  
Ah shook muh head. Ah watched him as he started the car. Ah noticed that his eyes wuh red, Ah had thought they wuh brown before. Ah wished Ah had gotten a ride with somebody else.  
  
"So what you up to Cherie? I haven't seen you round de halls too much."  
  
Ah shrugged, "Owah class scheduals mus' be different." Ah sat for a minute then said, "Maybe we'd better let Ebony think." Ah excused muhself from conversation.  
  
He nodded and put the radio on quiet. Nobody spoke again until we got to the parkin' lot.  
  
"You be okay now, eh petite?" he asked her.  
  
She nodded slowly and got out. Ah reached for the door.  
  
"You hold on a minute, Cherie," he said.  
  
Ah stopped and looked at him. He was jus' lookin' at me for a minute an' Ah wondered what he was thinknin'.  
  
Then he chuckled softly. "Well it look like Petite ain't de only one wit trouble ahead."  
  
"What do ya mean?"  
  
He went to brush muh cheek with his hand an' Ah flinched back intinctivley.  
  
"You tink Remy not know what he doing, Cherie?" He held up a gloved hand. He stroked muh face and a lock a muh hair. "What would you say if Remy told you he tink he in love?"  
  
Ah stared for a minute, "Ah." Ah turned away. "This can't work," Ah whispered an got outta the car.  
  
As Ah walked inta school this time Ah was the one in tears.  
  
***  
  
Well, um, it's 1:30 am now, and I don't think I'm going to finish an entire day of school in half an hour so I guess I'll just have to add yet another chapter. (Sorry, I got a late start and I'm a slow typer.) Ah hope y'all didn't mind Rogue thinkin' in her accent. Ah tried not puttin' it in, but it didn't read right. An' thanks to that Ah'll be stuck in muh southern accent all day tomarra, ( It's pretty good, Ah've been practicing since Ah got to play X-men with muh friends in second grade. Jamie, the leader, took storm an' her best friend got Jubilee, so Ah got stuck with Rogue and Ah developed a deep bond with huh charactuh.) Next chaptuh, the rest a the second day (ie, the entiuh school day). What will everyone at school think? What's Rogue going to do? Please review, praise and constructive criticism welcome. Flames are gonna be used ta heat the Brothahood house. Tell me how ya think the Gambit/Rogue is doin'. 


	9. Newton's First Law of Motion Falling in ...

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Welcome back! Man, I was sooo Po'd this morning! The only episodes they showed were the two starring Jean! Humph. That just ain't fair, y'know? Ah well, now I get to type my own Evo. Lets see, Um, reviewers, I love you all dearly but I forgot to print your reviews out so I'll have to respond next chapter. Sorry. So, this chapter is another unanticipated extension of the last. Like I said, my Dad wouldn't let me start typing until late. I'm not sure if I could have finished it even if I'd started at the time I wanted.  
  
Therefore this chapter is what happens during the school day and after. This is the last chapter of the four part 'Falling in Love' sequence. You can already guess how the school's gonna react, but are Ebony and Todd going to be able to look each other in the face? What's poor Rogue going to do? Just what sort of dating tips did Pietro give Todd? All this and a bag of chips! By the way, ask your science teacher about the chapter title if you don't understand. Oh, and Mrs. S-Z is in this chapter again. (sorry if she says anything you wouldn't, real Ms. S-Z!)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution. I merely toy with it as I please. I own Ebony, even if she does seem to have a mind of her own. Ms. M is another teacher at my school, she always makes my best friend and I sit across the room from one another. Supposedly she's a bad influence! ^.^ The still life's real too! I have drawings! .ew.  
  
Chapter 9. Newton's First Law of Motion (Falling in Love part 4)  
  
In the winter at Bayville High before the first morning bell people usually hung around in the Cafeteria. This was not so much because they served breakfast as it was because it was marginally well heated, at least better than the below zero the outside was. When Ebony entered the building it was of course her first instinct to go there as she always did. Then she stopped and realized that the lunchroom would be absolutely full of people, all of whom if they hadn't heard the latest news by now would have before they'd been there ten minutes. She didn't want to deal with that again, especially not for half an hour. She was there early because despite the fact that Remy had taken the long route for her they'd left very early in order to avoid the same problem she'd be facing in the cafeteria.  
  
She turned away. She'd just sit outside the door of whatever her first class was until the teacher came and unlocked it. What was her first class this morning? Right, art. She sighed heavily. At least there were only about ten other people in that class, not counting Todd. She slunk towards the art room. She was very, very glad that the next day was Saturday.  
  
***  
  
Todd followed the rest of the Brotherhood from the jeep into the building. He had a lot on his mind. Was Pietro right? Did Ebony decide that last night was a date? He ran a hand through his still damp hair. How should he act around her if she did? How was she going to react to his wearing the shirt she gave him? Every little thing was making him tense this morning. Someone might have told him he had butterflies in his stomach, but he knew what that felt like, and it didn't feel anything like this. He felt nervous, edgy, apprehensive, fidgety, and high-strung. If someone had walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder he probably would have ended up in orbit.  
  
He walked into the cafeteria and was completely and totally unprepared for what happened next. Usually when he went someplace people ignored him as much as possible, they acted as though he wasn't even there. But not today.  
  
Everyone stopped immediately and looked at him. Most of the talking stopped. He froze.  
  
Then it erupted again.  
  
"Omigod, that's him."  
  
"You were just kidding right?"  
  
"Someone actually.?"  
  
".Heard it from Kitty."  
  
"That's disgusting!"  
  
"It's just a joke.right?"  
  
".that he kissed her."  
  
".at the movies!"  
  
"They were making out!!!"  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
The room seemed to be spinning. First Todd was embarrassed; he could tell that he was blushing redder than he ever had in his life. Then he became angry and it was his yellow eyes that burned scarlet. He turned, raging, and leapt from the room.  
  
He hurdled blindly through the halls until he crashed into a open door. He stood, and glared at it.  
  
"Don't get in my way!" he snarled at it and skulked roughly to his first class, where he hoped know one would be.  
  
***  
  
Rogue marched into the cafeteria and sat down at an empty table. At the moment she didn't care, and so didn't notice what everyone was talking about. She had her own problems. How could he? How dare he tell her that? When she could never touch him. Never share so much as a single kiss. How dare he tell her he loved her, when she was so in love with him? She put her head down on her arms and cried.  
  
***  
  
None of the lights were on yet. She blended into the shadows so well he nearly didn't see her. It was only the nearly white tone of her hand that caught his eye at first, but then he saw her. She was sitting with her arms around her knees which were pulled up to her chest and her head was down, her raven hair obscuring her face.  
  
"Ebony?" She looked up; he could tell that she'd been crying. That made him angrier than before. "You didn't go in the lunchroom did you?"  
  
She shook her head dismally.  
  
"Don't. 'S humanity at its worst." He sat down next to her, but wondered if maybe he should just leave. "So why're ya cryin' then?"  
  
"I'm not," she lied.  
  
"Oh." He shifted uncomfortably. "So I guess ya didn't hear all the shit they was talkin'."  
  
"Oh I heard it all right," she said icily, "from everyone at the Institute." She did an imitation of Professor Xavier, "We must learn to accept everyone. Pff, yeah right."  
  
He nodded, unsure of what to say.  
  
She looked up at the dark ceiling. "Todd, there's something I need to know."  
  
"Whasat yo?"  
  
"Was last night a date? I mean, what I mean is. was it just about me getting you the shirt, or. do you really. like me?" she stammered, blushing deeply.  
  
Hell, nothing to lose, right? "Yeah. I really do like you Ebony."  
  
"Good. Because I like you a lot." she scooted closer to him. "And I don't care what anybody else says!" She looked at him. "You smell nice," she smiled for the first time that morning.  
  
"Uh, thanks. Pietro gave me some stuff." She grinned rather embarrassedly.  
  
The hall light came on, and a fifty-something woman in slacks was tapping her foot in front of them. It was their art teacher. "What are you two doing here? You aren't supposed to be here before first bell."  
  
"We're sorry ma'am," she said milking her 'cute little girl' appearance for all it was worth. "We weren't very popular in the cafeteria this morning. It won't happen again."  
  
She looked from Ebony to Todd, "No, I suppose you weren't," she remarked, as revolted as most of the student body. "See that it doesn't happen again."  
  
"We promise Ms. M," she smiled and she and Todd stood up and followed her in the door as she unlocked it.  
  
In the middle of the room was a hideous conglomeration of junk. A typewriter, some dried Indian corn, an ugly lace curtain over a wooden window frame, a birdcage, a rusty bicycle with a basket and a crappy raggedy-Anne doll in an ancient baby carriage.  
  
"Yo teach, what is 'at?" Todd demanded.  
  
"It's a still life," Ms. M snapped, "You're all going to be drawing it. Any angle you like." She busied herself at her bombzone of a desk. She was a Professional watercolor artist. She also drew people's houses.  
  
The first bell rang and students began to slowly come into the room trying to get in before the bell which would ring five minutes later, telling them that they were late for class.  
  
Todd and Ebony sat down at desks in front of the least ugly (but far from aesthetically pleasing) portion of the still life, the bit with the window and the birdcage. As other students came in they got a few stares and mumbles of disbelief but they both tried hard to ignore it. By the time everyone in the class was in the room there was a desk on either side between them and anyone else.  
  
The teacher began her obligatory fifteen minute lecture before they began, (and the woman complained that they never had any time!) about what a still life was (as if they didn't know) and how they were going to do a sketch before making them into watercolors.  
  
"This is so dumb," Ebony said when they were finally allowed to begin drawing. "Why can't we ever draw anything alive?"  
  
"Cuz Ms. Anal Retentive can't paint anything that moves an' thinks the rest of us are just as impaired. Least she ain't makin' us do anymore a them contour line drawings."  
  
She rolled her eyes. They'd done contour line drawings the entire previous two weeks. Those were where you couldn't look down at your paper and couldn't pick your pencil up once while still trying to make it look like your hand.  
  
The teacher swooped down on them, "Quite! Art should be done in perfect silence!" she hissed.  
  
***  
  
"Today," the lovely young English teacher began, "we will be discussing the elements of a Gothic novel like Jane Eyre." She paced smiling around the front of the room. "A Gothic novel has a love story, an element of the supernatural, something of a mystery, and. a Byronic hero."  
  
The class wondered what that was; Ebony wondered why Mrs. S-Z was grinning at her, pointedly.  
  
"A Byronic hero is dark, brooding and mysterious. He's not always the most attractive male in the story, his outward appearance usually mirroring his troubled soul. A Byronic hero always has a deep, dark secret in his nearly unknown past. He does things one would not always consider, hmmm, completely moral? But he isn't a bad guy! Don't think that. His terrible past leads him to do rash things in tough circumstances."  
  
Ebony looked at her teacher who winked slyly at her, she blushed and the Mrs. S-Z passed onto the topic of 'element of the supernatural'.  
  
The dark haired girl looked in front of her at Todd, and remember that two days ago she been wondering why he'd bothered to pass a note to her. Now she knew.  
  
At the end of class Ebony tried to slink out of the room behind Todd without her teacher noticing, but she shook her head and waved her over. Ebony told Todd she'd catch up with him in their next class. She walked over to the overhead projector where Mrs. S-Z was adjusting her notes for the next class.  
  
"So tell me what really happened. I've heard too much not to be deadly curious."  
  
"Um, well.he asked me out to the movies."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And so we went to see 'Attack of the Curse of the Revenge of the Return of the."  
  
"I've heard of it," she cut off the paragraph long title. "Go on."  
  
"And well. I sort of um.you know how much people cried during 'Titanic'? That's how much I cried. on his shoulder. And he kind of well. had his arm around me." She blushed.. "And after the movie he walked me home. part way and I, I um. Kissed him. on the cheek. That's really all that happened." She looked away. "But. um this morning we were both kinda upset, about all the nasty rumors you know. And we met up, accidentally in the hallway before class. I asked him. and he said, he said he did like me."  
  
He teacher grinned and chucked. "Good for you. But you're sure you know what you're doing? You've already seen how much flack you're both going to catch."  
  
"I know.I'm trying not to care."  
  
"Sometimes that's hard. Do you need a pass? I've probably made you late."  
  
Ebony nodded and she scribbled a signature on an 'actually has a decent reason for being late' slip.  
  
Ebony dashed off.  
  
***  
  
After Global Studies was Lunch. But Ebony was absolutely petrified of going into the Cafeteria. She couldn't sit like she usually did, quietly at the X table. They'd all just stare at her. Everyone would stare at her and whisper about her behind her back. She didn't know if she could even stand being in the lunchroom.  
  
She told Todd this.  
  
"So don' sit with the X- geeks." He said, "They can't kick you out just for not sittin' with 'em."  
  
"But. where would I sit?" she asked quietly.  
  
"You can sit with us. I can't promise the guys won't tease you a little, but they do anything to upset ya an' I'll frickin' take their eyes out, yo."  
  
"Um.okay." She smiled.  
  
As they walked into the lunchroom many people were staring at them, but not as many as before and both tried their best to pay no attention. Both had bagged lunches (Todd had swiped his out of somebody's locker) so they headed straight for the Brotherhood table. Everyone else was already there.  
  
"Yo guys, Ebony don' feel like sittin' with the X-geeks today, that okay with you?" He gave them a look that said 'it better be'.  
  
"I can understand that." Tabby said, "Sit down girl."  
  
She sat next to Todd near the edge of the table.  
  
Todd felt some need to introduce them all. "uh, Eb, this is Lance, Freddy, Tabby an' Pietro. Guys this is Ebony."  
  
"Hey," Lance greeted.  
  
Freddy waved.  
  
Tabby nodded and smiled at her.  
  
Pietro raced around the table and shook her hand very quickly. "So you're the girl who's stolen our Toddy's heart!" He wagged a finger at her. "Shame."  
  
She flushed nervously. "Um, hi?"  
  
Pietro nodded, "Of course, of course. It's a pleasure to have you with us."  
  
Lunch passed pretty much uneventfully, she caught a few strange glances from the X-men once they found out where she was sitting. She chatted a little with the Brotherhood; they were easier to get along with than she would have thought. Lance asked how Kitty was, and Freddy wanted to know why she was so short. (She really didn't know the answer to either).  
  
The next class was the only one Todd and she did not share. He had to go to gym today because he kinda wanted to pass. Ebony, not wanting to stay in the Cafeteria alone, went to the Library.  
  
***  
  
Todd hurried to his locker for his gym clothes. When he got there, he found that someone was waiting for him. And it wasn't anyone he wanted to see.  
  
"Well if it isn't little Toady Tolensky," Duncan Matthews sneered at him. "Heard you got yourself a girlfriend." He had three other jocks behind him as a goon squad.  
  
"Least one of us got one yo," he countered, preparing for the nearly inevitably beating.  
  
"Funny. No frog face like you has the right to date any girl in my school." He cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Huh, last I heard this was a public school yo."  
  
"Guess you heard wrong. Now are you gonna back off or am I gonna break your face?"  
  
The goons nodded and leaned forward agressively.  
  
Normally this was where Todd would begin his cringing and muttering 'please don't hurt me' routine, but something today had emboldened him ."You can try Matthews, I wouldn't want you to make a fool of yourself though." He smirked. "I'll give you one chance to keep you pretty face."  
  
"I'd like to see you try, Toad."  
  
"Come and get me."  
  
The quarterback lunged at him. He evaded him neatly with a backflip.  
  
"Missed me."  
  
"Well are you three going to help or not?" He demanded of the goons.  
  
They rushed at Todd.  
  
He leapt onto the lockers and then flying kicked one of the goons into the wall, then flipped back onto the lockers.  
  
"Holy! Eric!"  
  
The unfortunate young jerk, I mean jock, groaned and clutched his chest. The two other goons took one look at the supposed 'easy target' and took off down the hall.  
  
"Hey!!! Hey what the hell are you doing!!?" Duncan yelled. "Cowards, well, I can take care of you myself Jackie Toad," he glared up at Todd.  
  
"Oo, I'm scared. Come an' get me." He raspberryed Duncan from atop the lockers.  
  
Duncan glared and advanced on the lockers preparing to climb them. Todd jumped to the other side.  
  
"Nyah. Not gonna get me like that, Matthews." He grinned.  
  
Duncan clenched his fists. "This isn't over Tolensky," he snarled.  
  
"Whatever you say, yo. I'll be waitin'." He gave him a wave.  
  
"C'mon," he pulled the fallen jock up and they sulked to class.  
  
Todd grinned gave a whoop of triumph. He couldn't believe it; he'd just stood up to Duncan and not gotten the stuffing beaten out of him! For now at least. Next time he'd probably be facing the entire football team, but that wasn't important right now. He could hardly comprehend how easy it was. He opened his locker and bounded happily off to gym class.  
  
***  
  
The rest of the day passed as well as possible for the two of them. Todd told Ebony about his fight with Duncan. She was upset (but secretly flattered) that he'd been fighting about her but glad that he'd stood up to the bully. She'd gotten the Brotherhood phone number and promised to call over the weekend.  
  
She found Remy in the parking lot at the end of the day.  
  
"Hey, Petite, you look happy," he said, "I told you your day get better, no?"  
  
She nodded happily and got in the car.  
  
"But where mon Cherie?"  
  
"Oh. I think she got a ride from Scott."  
  
He sighed. "Well, I tink she come around eventually."  
  
Ebony wasn't sure exactly what he was talking about but she nodded happily anyway, just glad that things were the way they were."  
  
***  
  
Well. What do you think a' the chapter? Next chapter we finally find out what's going to happen at the Brotherhood house. All I'll say is, nothing good! 


	10. Growing AntiMutant Sentiment

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution Fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hi again! Well, I checked the TV guide this morning. Next Saturday is a new episode! (Yay!) They're introducing Scarlet Witch, Pietro's sister. Question is will she be staying? If so on what side? But that has absolutely no bearing on this story! What does, you ask? The fact that in this chapter, bad stuff goes down at the Brotherhood house. Will the mutant rebels ever be the same? Ah, reviews, like chocolate.  
  
Todd fan: We're all getting older. I remember the original Power Rangers. It was actually the real Mrs. S-Z's idea that Todd was something of a Byronic hero. I loved the idea though and had to put it in! Did I mention that she reads this? She's in love with Kurt (and she's married too, shame! () so I have to be nice to him. (Will the real Mrs. S-Z please stand up? Heh.)  
  
Akasha: Yup, Gambit said he loved her. Poor thing. Well, Remy doesn't give up that easily. I'm sure they'll get together eventually. I'm writing as fast as I can for ya! ^.^  
  
Wizardess: It was, wasn't it? WarKnyte: I thought it was a little fast too, but Todd and Ebony are setting their own pace. (They won't listen! *sob*) Eb's too damn perky to take things slow and Todd's never been in this situation before. Don't worry; this story won't be ending any time soon! I hate endings too. *sniff*  
  
I would like to take this opportunity to say that I'm soooooo Hungry!! My mom is enforcing this diet and exorcise plan because she got us tickets and backstage passes to the Blink 182 and Green Day concert this June. My god, I need Foooooood!  
  
Disclaimer: I own Ebony, that's about it. I don't own X-men, I don't own Digimon. Please don't sue me.  
  
Chapter 10.Growing Anti-Mutant Sentiment  
  
Three A.M. at the Brotherhood house. A pink van drives up and parks across the street. A man creeps from it. He crosses the street and walks silently to the door. From his palm comes some sort of lock pick. He unlocks the door. Noiselessly he is inside. He finds a place, in the kitchen. He puts it down and adjusts a few buttons. He creeps as silently out as he did in. No one has heard him. Now his master has only to wait. Mission parameters fulfilled.  
  
***  
  
Morning may have dawned bright and early that morning but Todd did not. He slept in as late as he possibly could despite the sounds of Saturday morning cartoons from the downstairs. He rolled over as sleep began to recede on its own. He opened his eyes part way and yawned very widely. He literally rolled out of bed and onto the floor before leaning back against his bed in a crouch. He stretched and yawned again. [A/N: making the author sleepy.] He pulled his clothes on, still the 'Humans Suck!' shirt, left his room and hopped down the stairs.  
  
In the living room Pietro and Freddy were watching Digimon, Lance was eating a doughnut and Tabby didn't seem to be up yet. He sat down at the table.  
  
"Mornin'," Lance greeted.  
  
"Good.*yawn*.morning." Todd grinned and picked up a chocolate doughnut with sprinkles. He ate it in two bites.  
  
From the other room came high-pitched anime voices. Todd winced. "How do they watch that, yo?"  
  
"Beats me. I think Pietro has a thing for the one with spiky hair."  
  
"Yo, don' they all have spiky hair?"  
  
"Don't ask me, I'm not the one who watches it."  
  
He called into the other room. "Yo, Petey, you're killin' my ears. Could ya turn that crap down?"  
  
"It's not crap!!!" Pietro yelled, insulted, but turned it down a notch. "It's highly intelligent entertainment with a beautiful message about how we should live our lives."  
  
"Whateva. There any coffee made Lance?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
Todd jumped up and over to the coffee maker. He poured himself a cup. Then he stopped. He cocked his head. "Pietro, I thought I asked you to turn that down!"  
  
"I did turn it down Todd!"  
  
"Then what's that beeping?"  
  
"You're hearing things man. You oughta get that checked."  
  
Todd shook his head. "Nah man, I seriously hear beeping. Where's it comin' from?" he tipped his head trying to discern where the beeping was coming from. He crept to the left. No, not over there.wait. Aha! He yanked open the cupboard.  
  
1:00  
  
0: 59  
  
0: 58  
  
"It's bomb!!!!" Todd yelped, barley realizing what the clocked device was in time. "Get out now!!!!!!"  
  
Luckily the Brotherhood was smart enough not to question this. There really wasn't time to ask him if he was sure.  
  
"Get Tabby!" Lance yelled to Pietro as he, Freddy and Todd hurried to the door. He zipped up stairs and joined them as they ran as far down the street as possible. They were about a block and a half away when it happened.  
  
BOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
The house when up in a ball of blazing heat and flaming debris littered down around them.  
  
They stared. That was all they could do at the moment. Tabby had woken, still held maiden style by Pietro, but she was staring too.  
  
It was Freddy who first spoke. "What.what happened?"  
  
"It. it was a bomb yo. Somebody bombed our house." Todd stared disbelieving.  
  
"I'm still asleep, right?" Tabby asked.  
  
Pietro shook his head somberly and set her down, she was still in her nightgown.  
  
"Who the hell?" Lance demanded.  
  
"Why would someone bomb us?" Freddy wondered.  
  
"Donno," Todd said quitely. "Man, yo. All our stuff."  
  
"What. what are we gonna do now Lance?" Pietro asked.  
He didn't take his eyes off the three story fire. "There's only one thing we can do," he said in a very grave, resigned voice.  
  
"Oh man, you can't be serious!" Pietro protested.  
  
Lance nodded. "You wanna sleep in the park?" he asked.  
  
They heard sirens.  
  
"C'mon. Let's get going."  
  
***  
  
Ebony woke up early even on Saturdays in order to watch her cartoons. She crept down before most of the rest of the house was awake and down to the TV room. From eight until twelve she would watch hours of child- preteen television. Cartoons amused her. She was very upset when in the middle of the second episode of Digimon a special announcement came on.  
  
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. Only a few minutes ago there was an explosion at the Bayville Community Boarding House, Rita O'reily is on the scene."  
  
"Dan, I'm here at the site of the explosion, an event which authorities speculate was an act of mutant terrorism. Authorities have not confirmed whether or not anyone was inside the building when it went up. And although as you can see behind me, firefighters have the blaze under control it may be hours before anyone can go inside with any degree of safety."  
"Oh...my god, isn't that the where the Brotherhood lives?" Ebony jumped up and raced out of the room toward the Professor's study.  
  
"Professor! Professor Xavier!" she raced in.  
  
"You shouldn't shout so early in the morning," he told her looking up from his desk.  
  
"But Professor! Turn on your TV! There's been some kind of bombing!"  
  
He turned on his TV. "Act of Mutant Terrorism?"  
  
Kitty came through the wall yawning. "Like, what's all the commotion about Professor?" her eyes fell on the screen. "Oh my gosh, that's where Lance lives!"  
  
Ebony nodded.  
  
"You don't think they were inside when.."  
  
The Professor looked at them; "I have no idea I'm afraid."  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"Well, they seem to have gotten out all right after all."  
  
"That's them?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
The two girls looked at each other and dashed from the room, Xavier wheeling himself behind them.  
  
In the foyer Ebony yanked open the door. Kitty threw her arms around Lance.  
  
"Lance! I thought you were dead!!" she cried.  
  
"We, uh, just saw the news," Ebony explained. "It looked bad but they made it sound worse."  
  
"Aw man, not the news again yo. What're they sayin' this time?"  
  
"That 'The authorities speculate that it was an act of mutant terrorism.'" She imitated.  
  
The Professor wheeled himself into the room. "Please, tell us what actually happened?"  
  
Lance disentangled himself from Kitty. "We aren't really sure Professor. Toad barely found the bomb in time. We don't know who could have planted it. And, we were wondering, since we really have no other place to stay."  
  
He nodded. "Certainly you may all stay here. Tabitha, Lance I expect you to inform your friends of the rules. I will have rooms prepared for you."  
  
"Uh, thanks."  
  
He nodded and left the room.  
  
"Man, this sucks." Tabby stomped away.  
  
Freddy gaped around. "Wow."  
  
Pietro zipped away for a moment, then back. "Aw, the place isn't that big Fred."  
  
"Like, you guys want me to give you the grand tour?" Kitty asked.  
  
"Already seen it but sure." Lance grinned.  
  
"Okay!" said Freddy.  
  
Pietro shrugged. "How about you, Toddy?"  
  
"Nah, I think I'll jus' hang out yo."  
  
Kitty and the tourists wandered off.  
  
"I can't believe someone would just randomly bomb you guys' house." Ebony smiled faintly. "I thought for a minute you went boom with it."  
  
"Nah, just a little dusty." He brushed some ash out of his hair.  
  
She smiled. "I'm glad you're okay." She hugged him. "Have you had any breakfast?"  
  
"Huh.oh, yeah, breakfast. I ate. 'Bout three seconds before I found that bomb yo."  
  
"That must have been awful. C'mon, let's see if we can find your new room. They're absolutely awful before you do anything with them though."  
  
***  
  
The room he followed Ebony into he would have called anything but awful. Plain, maybe but it was the single nicest bedroom he'd been in all his life.  
  
"Wow, yo. 'S nice." The room was spacious with a large bed, a dresser, a stereo, and wall to wall carpeting. He sat down on the bed's comforter. "I feel sorta outta place, y'know?"  
  
She sat down next to him. "You'll get used to it I suppose."  
  
"I donno, this place really isn't my style," Todd looked at her.  
  
"I know, but I'm kinda glad that you're here."  
  
"You are?"  
  
"Of course!" She nodded. "You want me to show you around?"  
  
He shrugged. "'S up to you."  
  
***  
  
Scott Summers saw something sort of strange as he walked out of his room. [A/N: Heh, alliteration.] Avalanche, Quicksilver and the Blob being led around the mansion. On his way to the Professor's office he passed Tabby as well.  
  
"Professor, um, what is the Brotherhood doing here?"  
  
"Their home was bombed this morning. I expect you to treat them the same way you would anyone else in this house."  
  
"Yes professor." He turned to leave.  
  
"Scott?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"All of them. Tell the others I expect the same mature behavior form them as well."  
  
***  
  
"Ah man, Scott, not Maximoff," Spyke complained.  
  
"And the Toad? You have got to be kidding me!" Kurt hoped.  
  
"I heard Ebony was going out with him!" Spyke exclaimed.  
  
"Ve all heard that mine freund." Kurt shivered.  
  
"Apparently she is," Scott told them. "The Professor wants us to treat them all like everyone else."  
  
"Treat the Brotherhood like X-Men? fat chance," Spyke mouthed off.  
  
"Maybe we won't see zem too much?" Kurt was optimistic.  
  
"I want you two to spread the word for me, okay?"  
  
The two nodded, hardly believing their misfortune.  
  
***  
  
Well, that's it. Sorry about how short it is. I promise the next chapter will be longer. I'm thinking about doing it first person POV for Todd. What do you think? Well, what about the Brotherhood's predicament? Pretty bad eh? Mutant Terrorists my arse, what do they think they're trying yo pull? Till next chapter! 


	11. Your Elbow Is In My Spleen!

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: H'lo again! Sorry that I didn't update yesterday, my Dad was like, 'You want to type another chapter? No computer for you!' That's my dad, the computer nazi. *sigh* But I'm back so ha! Like I said I haven't been on the net so I can't respond to your reviews this chapter. (Hope they were good though!) But! This is going to be a cool chapter, I think. Certainly longer than the last one. Wee, into the double-digit chapters!  
  
It's a continuation of the day from last chapter, Saturday, and everyone is a little, um, shook up or something, donno how to describe it, about the Brotherhood's misfortune, or if you see things the other way, the X-men's misfortune. Kurt shows up for this chapter a little more than he has before. Personally I don't think he and Todd really hate each other on a sub-conscious level. They've got too much in common. There will be a bit with Todd's POV and Dr. McCoy reveals what he has determined about the Sentinels. Oh, and Todd gets to meet Remy. Should be fun.  
  
Also, I decided I was at the point in the story where some people might be wondering whether I have any day/chapter continuity. Well I do, here's the timeline.  
  
Ch1. Tuesday  
  
Ch2. Wednesday  
  
Ch3. Wednesday  
  
Ch4. Wednesday  
  
Ch5. Wednesday  
  
Ch6. Thursday  
  
Ch7. Thursday  
  
Ch8. Friday  
  
Ch9. Friday  
  
Ch10. Saturday  
  
Ch11. Saturday  
  
By the way, does anyone else have this problem? When I write or read a lot of a character I start to talk a bit like them (you should have heard me after the fourth Harry Potter book, Bloody 'ell!) And now I can't stop saying 'Yo'. Can anyone tell me if this is normal, or should I seek help? Oh, and Mrs. D was my Earth Science teacher last year. Yes, she really did talk about Hawaiian children and how they didn't go to school because they could play the guitar for money.  
  
Disclaimer: Me Ebony. They X-men. Tarzan king of jungle!  
  
Chapter 11.Your Elbow Is In My Spleen!  
  
In the halls of the Charles Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters someone silently crept, avoiding being seen. He was dark and mysterious. He was on a mission. He was on the hunt. His eyes flashed. He was going to find out what the heck was going on here!  
  
Kurt stayed out of sight as he followed the two through the mansion. He could hear and see them, but they could not see or hear him. His tail twitched and gold eyes gleamed. He grinned a fangy grin. Stalking was fun!  
  
It had been twenty minutes ago that Scott had told him what had happened, that the Brotherhood would be living under their roof, at least for the time being. But this didn't really bother him; he was a tolerant kind of guy. Sure the Toad managed to get to him on occasion but that was an amicable enmity. No it was something far more powerful and dangerous that drove him than anger or hatred. It was curiosity!  
  
He had of course heard The News the day before and found himself hard pressed to believe it. Tolensky, with a date? With Ebony no less! The girl seemed too perky and cute to even think about a guy like that. Besides, it was the Toad! And everyone knew what he was like. So when Kurt had heard that the Brotherhood was moving in he'd found it the perfect opportunity to find out what was up with that, and play detective at the same time. He'd even pulled on his PI (private eye/investigator) hat before searching the mismatched pair out.  
  
Now the two were talking in the bedroom hallway, and he was crouched behind a statue. They'd just come out a minute ago and conversation seemed to indicate that she was going to show him around. He pricked up his ears to listen.  
  
"So where do you want me to show you first, upstairs, downstairs, the dining room?"  
  
"Donno, yo. Just so long as we stay away from the 'Death And Nasty Gadgets upon Entering this Room' room."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The d.a.n.g.e.r room," he explained.  
  
"OH!" she giggled, "That's pretty funny! Pretty true too."  
  
Kurt remembered why he would want to stay away from the room. It had been his first day at the Institute and for some reason the Professor wanted to make Toad audition before letting him join the X-men. [A/N: Can someone explain to me why he did that? He didn't make anyone else!] So after the guy had gotten past Storm and the security system he and Kurt had started chasing each other around the mansion. He'd done a random teleport jump but Todd had caught hold of him and they'd both ended up in the Danger room. Not a pretty sight. Kurt shook his head.  
  
The pair started down the hall. He waited a moment and began to follow them down the hall noiselessly. He ran a three-fingered hand over the brim of his detective hat. He would get to the bottom of 'The Case of the Bedraggled Boyfriend'.  
  
***  
  
I followed Ebony through the long hallways sort of filing the location of places like the bathroom and stuff away for future reference. I didn't how like I'd be here for so there were things I kinda had to know. Maybe Lance'd be able to find us another place soon. This loony bin sure didn't feel much like home. I made sure to remember where Scott's bedroom was, if anybody here deserved a good practical joke he did. Who knew, maybe someday the guy'd crack a smile.  
  
"Well, um, that's this floor," I watched her hair swing about her as she turned contrasting starkly with her real pale skin. "The next floor up only has Cerebro and that's not much interest to non 'Psychopaths'." She blended psychic and telepath together. I wondered why she disliked psychics so much, not that I'm real fond of 'em either.  
  
"C'mon, there's got to be more to this place than that." It certainly looked pretty big from outside.  
  
"Well, yeah. But most of it's off limits or just not in use yet. We could stop by Dr. McCoy's lab I suppose." She bit her lip cutely. At least, I thought it was cute, so sue me okay?  
  
"Didn't he teach for a while, yo?"  
  
She nodded. "Uh huh, but then his powers kinda went nutso, and he couldn't teach anymore."  
  
"Sure, we can drop by his lab." I really didn't care about seein' the guy or nothin' I just wanted an excuse to keep around Ebony for a while longer. Plus, an' I'll let ya in on a little secret, I kinda like science, biology 'n chemistry an' stuff.  
  
So we started down the hall again, but then I heard somethin' a kind rustlin' noise an' I stopped an looked around. There was nobody else in the hall.  
  
"Yo, Eb, you here that?" You gotta understand I was still a little jumpy from, y'know findin' a bomb in my kitchen that morning.  
  
"Hear what?" Guess she didn't.  
  
I looked around again an' I saw this big potted plant kinda move. I motioned for Ebony to stay quiet an' I took a leapin' dive over the plant and right on top a' the blue boy.  
  
"Ach!" he yelped an' we sorta wrestled around tryin' ta pin each other. Just like the last time I checked into this freak motel. "Get off of me!"  
  
"Why were you sneakin' around Fuzzball?" I demanded.  
  
"Zat's.none of your buisness!" he tried to wriggle out from under me.  
  
"Wow, do you two know how funny that looks?" Ebony observed.  
  
By unspoken mutual agreement we got up an' dusted ourselves off. A guy's gotta know when there's no point sacraficin' his dignity for somethin',  
  
"So why were ya sneakin' around?" I asked again.  
  
"I vasn't 'sneaking'," he persisted.  
  
"Oh yeah I bet you always hide behind plants for fun. An' what's with the Bogart hat yo?" I kicked the hat towards him. It had fallen off while we were.yeah.  
  
He picked it up. "Hey, treat zhe hat with respect! And vhat makes you think I vas sneaking anywhere huh? I do live here after all." His German accent was getting on my nerves again.  
  
"An' so do I for the moment. It look like he was sneakin' to you Ebony?"  
  
"Well, kinda. What were you doing, Kurt?"  
  
".Looking for zhe Maltese Falcon?" he asked hopefully. "Or not. Vhy do you care anyway?"  
"I found a bomb in my kitchen this morning; forgive me if I'm a little paranoid yo. So just tell me why you were followin' us, since that is obviously what you were doin'."  
  
Blue boy looked at his wrist, "Vhoops look at zhe time, I had better be going." He 'Bamphed' away before I could get hold of him.  
  
"Damn fuzzball yo." I didn't really hate him, y'know. He just annoys me. The guy's as much of a freak as I am but he tries to act all cheery an' crap. Not only that but a guy wit that much blue fur got no right to pick on somebody who's skin's a little green.  
  
"Um, do you still want to see the lab?"  
  
I shrugged an' followed her. What I really wanted was know what Wagner was doin' followin' me.  
  
Ebony knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
She opened it. Inside was this chemist kinda lab with beakers fulla strange liquids an' some equipment I didn't recognize.  
  
"Ah, Ebony it's nice to see you. I was just about to show the Professor what I've found out about the Sentinels. And who is your friend?" The big furry guy adjusted his glasses. "Ah, young Mr. Tolensky. I've heard some interesting things about you from the science department at school."  
  
"Like what, yo?" I wondered what kinda crap the teachers were sayin' about me these days.  
  
"That you show a rather surprising amount of interest in science class for one thing. And that you do remarkably well on tests. Mrs. D told me that you'd probably have the highest grade in the class if you ever turned in your homework."  
  
"Yeah, so?" I'd have to try harder to look disinterested. I could ruin my image otherwise.  
  
"Um, you said you found some stuff out about the Sentinels?" Ebony asked.  
  
"Why yes. Would you like me to tell you?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
He got some creepy lookin' thing off his desk. It woulda looked like a hand except it was burnt and had wires stickin' outta it.  
  
"Notice that the hand robotics have some sort of covering? I tested it. It is indeed organic, human in origin in fact."  
  
"Yo, you mean them things are like cyborgs?"  
  
He shook his head. "A good guess but no. The DNA structure is too homogeneous. It couldn't have occurred in nature. No I believe that the flesh was grown in a lab chemically and then grafted onto the machine. What little of the mechanics are intact seem to indicate that the internal technology is very complex. More complex and advanced in fact than our government will currently admit to having."  
  
"So, what's that mean?" Ebony really didn't understand.  
  
"'S like in some sci-fi movie. Maybe they were designed by some faction of the government an' they haven't told the president about 'em, right Doc?"  
  
"I'm afraid that is a possibility. One which I must now discuss unfortunately, with the good Professor. So if you children would be so kind as to let me close the lab for now?"  
  
I was major weirded out as I followed Ebony outta the room. I mean, killer robots? Killer mutant hunting robots? Killer mutant hunting robots that look human? Killer mutant hunting robots that look human and maybe were designed by Ralph Nader or somebody? An' I thought my life was weird on Monday!  
  
"Wow, I wonder who really created them?"  
  
"Donno, somebody with a lota money ta play with." I looked at a clock on the wall. Just past noon. My stomach growled. "Yo, you hungry?"  
  
"A little," she admitted.  
  
"Then why don't you show me the kitchen next?"  
  
We wandered downstairs and through the momentarily empty dining room.  
  
"I'll go find us something to eat," she chirped and skipped into the kitchen.  
  
I stayed in the dining room waiting for her. It was dimly lit right now and I leaned against the far wall looking around. I spotted someone standing in the doorway.  
  
"So you de one stole petite's heart eh? Tell Remy your secret mon ami."  
  
It was the Frenchy guy in the duster and black bandanna, the one Ebony had said the Sentinels had been after.  
  
"Ain't no secret, mon ami," I mocked, "I'm just perfect that's all." I grinned.  
  
"If you perfect I wanna meet God, eh? But, still, she got it bad for you I see."  
  
"So? You jealous?"  
  
"Moi? C'est vous qui es vert, non?" he winked.  
  
It was a good thing I took French or I'd never be able to figure out what the guy was saying. But as it was I knew that he'd said 'Me? It's you who is green, no?' I decided to beat him at his own game. "Es ce que tu ici pour un raison ou seul ici moquer moi?" Are you here for a reason or just to mock me?  
  
"Tu parle francais mon ami?"  
  
I shrugged. "Hard not to learn something when you have to hear it for an hour everyday for years on end. So was there a reason or not?"  
  
"I heard you used to bunk with ma cherie."  
  
"If I knew who that was it might help."  
  
"I believe she is called, Rogue."  
  
I wondered if he knew what he was doing. "Yo, you know you can't touch her right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Well what do you wanna know?"  
  
"What kind of thing you think she like for a gift eh?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know? She wouldn't talk to anybody, least of all me. You might ask Pietro." Why was he asking me this? Didn't the guy have anything better to do?  
  
He nodded. "Oops, ton petite retourne." He ducked out of the room with a casual wave. I shook my head. What a weirdo.  
  
Ebony came back in with sandwiches and sodas. "There wasn't too much to choose from," she said.  
  
"'S cool yo." I took a sandwich.  
  
"Were you talking to somebody?"  
  
I shrugged. "That French guy."  
  
"Oh, Remy. He's actually from New Orleans. Did he say anything?"  
  
"Not much in English," I said truthfully. I had some respect for the fact that the guy might not want everybody to know about his thing for Rogue.  
  
She nodded, "He seems to do that, slip into French without realizing it. I guess he spoke it most often where he was from."  
  
I shrugged and took a bite of the sandwich, "Shcoul yho," said forgetting not to talk with my mouth full.  
  
She smiled. "Gee, thanks." She looked around the room. "I wonder where everybody is?"  
  
"'S a Saturday, they've probly all gone out somewhere."  
  
She thought for a moment. "All your clothes got blown up with your house this morning, didn't they?"  
  
I nodded. Technically the one other shirt I'd been in possession of must have been ashes by now. "Why?"  
  
"Well, if we don't do something about that the Professor will probably make you borrow Scott's."  
  
That wasn't a happy proposition. I wondered where she was going with this. "So.?"  
  
"So let's go to the mall and get you some!" she beamed.  
  
"What if there are more of them Sentinels yo?" Did she really want to go back to the mall so soon after that? I wouldn't a wanted to see the Gut Bomb again, even if it had been still standing.  
  
"Oh they probably won't be there." I wished they could bottle whatever made her so optimistic. "Oh poo. I just remembered; I don't have any money. Oh well, we can get some!"  
  
"I ain't borrowin' money from the Professor yo. I think he got some kinda grudge against me."  
  
"I wasn't suggesting we borrow money from anybody."  
  
I gave her a blank look.  
  
She pouted, crossing her arms and sticking out her bottom lip. "And I thought you and a reputation as a pickpocket."  
  
I blinked. That had been the last thing I'd expected to hear from her. Then I remembered, hadn't she said something about picking pockets when she'd lived in the graveyard that first day he'd talked to her? She was one complex little thing. "Uh, yeah. Sometimes yo."  
  
She nodded. "I'll see if Remy will drive us."  
  
I shook my head as she traipsed off. What have you gotten yourself into this time, Tolensky? I asked myself.  
  
***  
  
Well, what do you think? Next chapter Ebony and Todd go pickpocketing, then clothes shopping! Pilfering and pants; loot and leather jackets! It's a mutant Bonnie and Clyde! This next chapter I'm making up as I go along in 'Shop till you Drop!' or 'Mallrats: Silent Bob not included!' 


	12. Gainful Enjoyment

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X- Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Heloooo! Sorry for the chapter delay! My Dad was spazing again! He even wouldn't let me go over to my best friend's house! Why does everyone seem to think that she's a bad influence? I actually went to the mall day before yesterday with my friend Bridget. We convinced some cashiers that my she was pregnant! Hahaha! Hmm, let's see. ooo, I know, reviews!  
  
Akasha: Yes, the BoM is much nicer than the X-geeks. Yes also, high school is that bad (And I even go to an all girls catholic school!) Thanks for recommending me to your friend, Queenduckie!  
  
Red Witch: I thought it was about time too!  
  
Frumious Bandersnatch: Glad you like my characterization for Todd! I suck at spelling too, that's what spellchecker is for!  
  
Foxglove33: Yay, I'm awesome! Duncan Donuts, heh. Yeah, I hope he stays clear too.  
  
Did you mean 'lackey' or did you actually mean that they wore 'lacey' jockstraps? (heh frilly jocks.)  
  
Todd fan: Hope you liked Todd's POV I put it in for ya!  
  
WarKnyte: yes, the BoM and X-geeks under the same roof will be funny. There will be plenty more Gambit/Rogue (It's my main sub-plot) I hope they put it in the cartoon too, I can't stand her mooning over Summers like that!  
  
Queenducky: I love new reviewers! *Hugs her* I love/ am obsessed with Toad too. (Gee, I didn't think you could tell!) I used to be obsessed with Remy too! (Gee, we're a lot alike!) Tell Akasha I think that you two are real cool! I'll keep writin'!  
  
Cera Toynbee: I feel honored that you have reviewed my fic. *Kneels down and kisses ring* I used to read too much slash too, it's everywhere. I sometimes balk at OCs too. I thought he'd say something like that. He probably goes there every Mardi Gras! I have a lot of those Cds. I don't know much about Pietro, I'm doing the best I can; have any tips for me? Mrs. S-Z IS a mutant, not all the mutants are teenagers even in Evolution. Can you imagine Xavier and Magneto as teenagers? (I feel a plot bunnie coming on!) Mrs. S-Z is acquainted with Prof. X. I came up with the movie title last year (It was one of the original scenes in the Fic.) Do you think I should actually write the script? I've been toying with the idea.Glad you thought it was funny. I think the fic is good too, gee I hope I don't sound too arrogant! I've been developing the idea for a year! Yes, reviewing is a pain, I'm glad that you're going through the trouble for li'l ol' me. I certainly will keep writing!  
  
Few, past the 40 review mark, woohoo! Oh, I almost forgot! Today at the mall I bought a pair of spiked bracelets, just like Todd's ^.^ I'm wearing them now! In this chapter Todd and Ebony go to the mall! There's some picking of pockets and a lot of trying on and buying of clothes. Hehe, Toddy's gonna get a new outfit!  
  
I had a hard time with the chapter title. I changed it 5 times and STILL hate it!  
  
Note: this chapter is rated O for obsessive Toad worship.  
  
Disclaimer: If you don't know who owns what by now you're kinda dumb.  
  
Chapter 12.Gainful Enjoyment  
  
"You can just drop us off if you want," Ebony said to Remy.  
  
"Dat okay Petite, I tink I look around too. I promise not to follow."  
  
She smiled and nodded. But in the sweet way, not the clueless way. She traipsed out of the room before Remy, grabbing Todd's wrist as she passed him.  
  
"C'mon!" she chirped.  
  
"Nice car," Todd commented when they were outside. "Oops, I just realized, Lance's car musta been totaled in the explosion."  
  
"Um, he'll probably be upset about that, won't he?"  
  
In the mansion, the only thing that kept Lance from weeping over the passing of his Jeep was the fact that Kitty was in the room. "What you gonna be shoppin' for, hm petite?"  
  
"Clothes," she said brightly, "Todd needs some because all his stuff got blown up this morning. And I'm going to look at jewelry. Why are you shopping, by the way?"  
  
"Jus' for dis an' dat. Nothin' particular." He tipped his head and murmured, "Maybe jewelry not a bad idea, eh?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"You want de radio on petite?"  
  
The mall was pretty much back to normal when they got there. The burn marks had been cleaned and only one store was still closed, and it was a health food store so very few people cared.  
  
"Remy see you two later, eh?" he gave a careless wave as he walked away.  
  
Not being sure on the depths of the Cajun's morals Ebony waited until Remy was out of sight to clap and rub her hands. She surveyed the crowd and nodded to Todd. "You go down towards that way, I'll take the end of the mall with the bookstore and toyshops and stuff. Meet back here forty five minutes good for you?"  
  
He shrugged. "Sure."  
  
"Kay then," she grinned and bounced down through the mall. Todd turned his own way and got down to business.  
  
***  
  
Ebony leaned against the wall beside KB toys. Mentally she tightened the shadow material of her bra to restrict her chest and loosened her shirt She formed a black teddy-bear purse and slung it over her shoulder. Now she really looked eight. She giggled and surveyed the crowd. Mother with screaming child, no. Gaggle of valley girls, no. Creepy old lady, definitely not. Aha, man in suit, mid thirties, looks like he's in a hurry. Perfect! She smiled sweetly and skipped right into him, knocking herself over. Her lip trembled.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry little girl, are you okay?" he reached down to help her up. She grabbed his hand and got up, then hugged him around the legs, deftly slipping his wallet from his pocket into her bear bag.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr," she said wide-eyed. "I was lookin' for my granma."  
  
"Are you lost?"  
  
"Ah ha," then she looked around. "Oh there she is!" She smiled and tittered, skipping off in the general direction of the creepy old lady. The man hurried on his way.  
  
She headed off to the bookstore once the man was out of view. Her next target was an oblivious-looking, nerdy young man who was browsing the Bat Man novelizations. She bumped into him, grabbing his e-bay Joker wallet and disappearing it.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" the pimply boy complained. "I haven't got time for this!"  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to Mr. Wayne sir."  
  
The acknowledgement of his fandom seemed to appease the geek, at least until twenty minutes later (after Ebony was long gone) when he realized he didn't have any money to buy 'The Dark Knight Returns' with.  
  
"I wonder how Todd's doing?"  
  
***  
  
Todd was doing just as well, albeit using slightly different methods. He passed casually behind a group of valley girls, (the same ones Ebony had left) who were busy ogling the newest *NSync video and removed their allowances from various places on their persons without them noticing he was ever there. He preformed the same maneuver on several non-Bayville High jocks in the sports store and a couple of gamers in their native habitat.  
  
He ducked into a bathroom and counted the money, ditching the extra wallets and change purses in a trashcan.  
  
"$258, not bad. Better 'n usual yo." He pocketed the gains. And glanced at a clock as he left the graffitied stall. Time to go find Ebony.  
  
She was lounging on a bench near where they'd split up eating a soft serve chocolate ice cream. "How'd it go?" she asked brightly as he approached.  
  
"Pretty good," he sat down. "Little over Two-fifty. You?"  
  
She giggled. "Turns out the first guy I got had an absolute stash. $623 all total."  
  
He grinned. Sometimes that would happen. "Coo. So now what?"  
  
"Now we get you some clothes." She got up.  
  
He sighed and wondered if he was really doing this. He followed the small girl into a clothing store.  
  
Happily she scurried from rack to rack pulling various articles of clothing off. She'd take an item and hold it up to Todd, if she shook her head, it was back to searching, but if she nodded she handed it to him. Todd somehow had been under the impression that the shopping process would have involved him a little more, but apparently not.  
  
When Ebony was satisfied she turned to him. "Now's the really fun part, now you go try them on and show me."  
  
He flushed. Now this, this was going to be embarrassing.  
  
He went into the changing room with an absolute heap of clothing. The guy in front of the rooms looked at him funny, but a glare prevented the man from saying anything. Inside Todd surveyed the pile. How was he supposed to know what to try on first? He sifted through the garments pulling out a pair of black jeans and a long button down DragonBall Z T- shirt. He shrugged and tried them on.  
  
"Are you done yet?" she asked.  
  
He came out.  
  
"Turn around," she twirled her finger.  
  
He turned self-consciously. "Um, like this?"  
  
"Mmmhhh," she clapped. "That's good. Go try on the others now."  
  
He went back into the small room and looked in the mirror. "Hmph, not too bad." He changed again, this time into baggy camouflage pants and a dark green tank top.  
  
She paced around him, "That's cute! But." Those legs are going to waste; she finished in her own mind, blushing even at the thought.  
  
"What?" he asked confused.  
  
"Try something else on, I'll be right back."  
  
"O...kay."  
  
She hurried off. When he came out again in khakis and a blue plaid shirt she had an odd looking item in her arms.  
  
"Hmmm, the pants are okay. Lose the shirt though. And try these on." She handed the stuff to him.  
  
He went in again. Yes, this was definitely one of the more embarrassing things he'd done, ever. Then he looked at the clothes she'd handed him and he was mortified. A sleeveless shirt made of clingy metallic blue material, a spiked belt and black leather pants.  
  
"Yo, Ebony.did you uh, hand me the wrong stuff?"  
  
"Please? Try it on, for me?"  
  
Turning a bright red that did nasty things for his complexion he put on the garb, managing to suppress the blush as he walked out.  
  
Ebony  
  
Nearly  
  
Died.  
  
For several seconds she only stared.  
  
Todd turned, "What, do I have somethin' on backwards yo?"  
  
"Wow. Just, just.wow." Unlike his skinny arms his legs were really well muscled.so was his.ass. She blushed again, so did he.  
  
"Does it, look okay?"  
  
"Ye, yeah," she managed. She took a deep breath. "I know what it needs though. C'mon, let's pay for this stuff."  
  
Todd changed back into his normal clothes while they bought everything he'd tried on, plus a few more pairs of jeans and shirts. He carried the two large bags out of the store.  
  
"So, uh, what did you say it needed?"  
  
"Hold on one second." She ducked into a store, shelled out $300 for a single item and $60 more for another and came back. She handed him the bag.  
  
He looked in it. "Yo! Eb, that is so cool!" a leather jacket and steel toed boots.  
  
"Do you want to change into the stuff?"  
  
"Sure, yo." They headed through the mall towards the bathrooms. He stopped as they passed a mostly blacklit store. "Hey, how much we have left?"  
  
She checked, "We've still got a good two hundred dollars."  
  
"Come in with me, there's somethin' in here I kinda want."  
  
"Okay." She followed him.  
  
Now, mostly Todd didn't think overly highly of anime, but there was one thing common of there characters, especially in Pietro's 'Digimon, that he really liked. He picked up the goggles. [A/N: Like in the movie!]  
  
Ebony snorted. "They make you look like Daisuke, only not."  
  
"I jus' think they're cool, yo. You think so?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
They bought them and headed again towards the bathroom where Toad changed into the new outfit.  
  
Ebony was transfixed. He was in the blue metallic shirt, the leather pants, the spiked belt (that matched the wrist cuffs he still wore) the leather jacket, the boots and the goggles on top of his head. He looked completely different, and yet still exactly the same as he had before. His skin was still greenish, and his hair looked like it had been weed whacked, his fingers were still webbed and he was still slouching. But somehow now he looked good, not inspite of these things but almost because of them.  
  
Todd viewed his attire a little uncomfortably. "I feel kinda bad yo, spendin' all this money and not getting' you anything."  
  
"That's okay!" she beamed. "I really enjoyed shopping with you."  
  
"Well, thanks, but. Aw man, jus' stay here okay?"  
  
She smiled and shrugged and watched him go into a small store.  
  
He came back almost fifteen minutes later with something in a jewelry box, [A/N: but not ring shaped, don't have a spaz attack on me!] he handed it to her.  
  
She opened it. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, "it's so pretty."  
  
"Yeah, I kinda thought you'd like it," he grinned sheepishly. It was a bracelet made of smoothed jade stones. "We got no more money though, well, 'nough for lunch or somethin'."  
  
"That's okay I absolutely love it. Um, but I'm sorta bad at putting on bracelets, would you help?" she offered her wrist.  
  
"Sure yo." He fastened it to her wrist. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty. But it wouldn't look half so nice on nobody else."  
  
She looked up at him, blushing. Should I kiss him? She wondered, is it to fast for me to kiss him? I've never kissed anybody before.  
  
Aw, man. I gotta kiss her. She just so, man, what if she doesn't want me to kiss her? What if I'm a bad kisser, yo? I ain't never kissed nobody before. Aw hell.  
  
Todd kissed her. It was a cute, tender, first kiss and it made Ebony melt into his arms. He held her.  
  
The group of valley girls walking by were very jealous.  
  
The kiss broke after a moment; after all it was the first for both of them.  
  
"Oh dear," Ebony was blushing and her eyes were wide.  
  
"Was that a um, good 'oh dear' or a bad one, yo?"  
  
"A good one," she nodded emphatically.  
  
"Good." He kissed her again, his arms around her.  
  
"'Ello, mon am-" Remy stopped several feet away. He smirked.  
  
It was a few seconds before they noticed him.  
  
"Oh! Hi Remy!" she smiled. "We're ready to go if you are!"  
  
***  
  
'NUFF SAID!  
  
(Well, until next chapter! Please review!) 


	13. The Case of the Not As Bedraggled Boyfri...

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X- Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hello again! Woo, and now a word from.me! To you!  
  
Akasha: Sugar highs are fun. Good for mental coffee breaks. (Ie daydreams about 'fictional' guys)  
  
Todd Fan: Everyone seems to have liked Kurt's hat. I thought it was cute. Glad you liked the chapters.  
  
Queenducky: You know that and I know that but my Dad don't know that. The thought of Todd not being a mutant makes me want to cry.Where would the fun in that be?  
  
Red Witch: I like Todd gets the girl fics too! (Gee, as if you couldn't tell.) I'll read Ronin Toad as soon as I get a chance! Thanks for the tip! I was hoping it'd have Toad in it! He's been sorely lacking in recent episodes. Although.there was that shower scene in Walk on the wild side. That wasn't very long though, and he only poked his head outta the curtain!  
  
Cera Toynbee: Tee hee, I like Captain Hook, he's cool. You were drooling? Think about me writing it!! I need to get my keyboard cleaned! Yum is right, leather heh. I thought that was a nice idea. Yes, they are indeed kissing now. Another fan of Kurt's hat? Maybe he should keep it around. Lance will hopefully be getting another car. Where'd he get the first one, anyway? I sometimes miss things when I read too! So I forgive you! *Hug* Mrs. S-Z tries to keep a low profile! Oh, by the way, she says she'd never actually call a student a 'nerd' but oh well, poetic license. You think I should right the script? I'll get right on it! Well after this chapter anyway. I may use the Xavier and Maggie as teens in a future chapter of DR. Glad you like the title, it was a bitch to come up with!  
  
Wow, that was a little long winded. By the way I have an idea for a cross over like thing too. You know those fics where they have the cast of one show as the cast of something else? Like the cast of X-Men as the, oh I don't know, Gilligan's island? Like Scott would be Gilligan (just as an example) and he wouldn't be playing him he'd actually be him? Well I have an idea for one of those with the Evolution cast in the movie Labyrinth. You've seen that, right? Rogue would be Sarah, Gambit as the goblin King, Toad as Hoggle, Beast as Ludo, and Kurt as Sir Ditimus. Am I missing anyone terribly important? Do you think it's a good idea?  
  
So, in this chapter, hmm, let's see.Well Kurt is on the case again! Will he get, er, find a clue? Who knows, but this time he's narrating Detective Style! Also, Todd gets his X-Men uniform and isn't very happy with it. Gambit gives Rogue something. What is it? Sore wa himitsu desu! (That is a secret!) You'll have to read the chapter. (My friend generously gave me the idea!)  
  
Disclaimer: I own about as many of the characters as I own acres of land in Idaho. one! I own Ebony. (The land is technically my Grandma's but she has it given to me in her will!)  
  
Chapter 13.The Case of the (Not As) Bedraggled Boyfriend  
  
It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. I was in my office (the TV room, technically) with my hat pulled down over my furry blue face. My name is Kurt Wagner, Private Investigator. Although, the case I was on at the moment was more of a civil service, no monetary exchange involved.  
  
The Toad was an old rival of mine, a small time criminal who hung around with the gang known as the Brotherhood. His given name was Todd Tolensky, but I gotta say the other moniker suited him better. He was sleazy, tactless, and he had bad hygiene. He wasn't very popular even in the circles where unpopular was considered in. So when the rumor started going around that he'd found himself a sweetheart I thought it was worth investigating.  
  
Miss Ebony Trufire was certainly a sweet little number, and I mean to stress the 'sweet' and the 'little' part. The kid stood at only four foot nine and seemed to be cheerful all the time. She was the new doll in town, in from some place in Michigan. The fact that it was her really put me on the case. She really didn't seem the type to go for someone like Tolensky. I thought there might be something shifty in the mix.  
  
Despite what I said earlier this case did have something of a personal note to it. From the moment she'd arrived I could see that she was sweet on me; what girl wasn't? I suppose it comes with the job. Unfortunately, this time I wasn't interested, there was only one doll I was interested in. I told this to Miss Trufire. Heartbreak can make a girl do funny things; I'd hate to think that I'd driven her to someone like Tolensky.  
  
Someone walked into my office. I looked up; it was Kitty Pryde, a charming lady if there ever was one. I was attracted to her, but she only had eyes for Lance Alvers, the leader of the gang Toad ran with.  
  
"Oh, hi Kurt. Um, why are you mumbling to yourself? And like, what's with the hat?" The Doll was a knock out, but she wasn't the sharpest cookie in the package.  
  
"I'm a PI, sveetheart." (Unfortunately my German accent gets in the way of my otherwise perfect Bogart.)  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A gumshoe, an agent, a Private Investigator."  
  
"Huh, oh, like I get it! You're playing detective movie!"  
  
Dolls just don't understand my line of work. "This case is as real as the nose on your face, kid."  
  
She nodded; I guess she thought she was humoring me. "So, like what's the case Kurt. I mean, Detective?"  
  
"That's classified information I'm afraid Ms. Pryde."  
  
"Oh come on, you can tell me. I bet I could help." She giggled. How could a guy resist that? So I gave her the lowdown.  
  
"I smell foul play in Bayville. I want you to get the skinny on the sparks between Tolensky and Miss Trufire."  
  
"Like, come again Kurt?"  
  
"I need you to interview the Brotherhood an' anybody else you think might know something about Toad and Ebony."  
  
"Oh, okay. Can do chief."  
  
"Try to be discreet about it. Got it doll face?"  
  
She nodded. "Gotcha." She saluted improperly and turned to go. She really didn't have a handle of the character she should be playing.  
  
Then she turned sharply and told me in a sultry voice, "And Wagner, I'm not your doll face." Then she pussy-catted her way out my door. I grinned. Maybe she was getting the hang of it.  
  
***  
  
Kitty had let down her hair and was carrying a small note pad; after all if she was going to do this for Kurt she might as well play along.  
  
The first 'informant' she 'contacted' was Lance.  
  
"Hey, Kitty, I like your hair like that. You should put it down more often."  
  
"Gee, thanks Lance. Um." Kurt had said to be discreet. She tried to think of a good way to start the conversation. "So, like what's up with Toad and Ebony. I heard they're dating or something?"  
  
"Yeah, weird isn't it? They went to the movies or something and now all of a sudden they're an item."  
  
"So they did in fact go to the movies?"  
  
"Well, as far as I know. Say, that reminds me do you want to see 'Roses at Midnight' with me tonight?"  
  
"Sure! That sounds great Lance. I'll see you later." She turned and scribbled some notes on her pad, walking off to find her next witness.  
  
"So, Pietro, I like heard this rumor that Toad-"  
  
"Yeah!" he replied excitedly, not letting her finish. "He and Ebony are hot stuff! I can take most of the credit though," he told her arrogantly.  
  
"Like, how so?" she jotted the information down.  
  
"Well, without me the boy would be totally lost. I've been giving him dating tips."  
  
"So is that why Ebony's like, dating him?"  
  
"Well I hate to sound self centered, but most likely. After all I am the Master."  
  
"Ah huh. Well, gotta go."  
  
She found her next target in the dining room eating something that was either a sandwich or Mount Kilimanjaro. "So, Freddy.have you heard anything about Todd and Ebony?"  
  
"Well," he said between bites, "I donno. I heard some stuff but it looks to me like they're just good friends." He took another bite, "I don't know if Todd really even wants a girlfriend."  
  
"Really? That's like, not what I heard."  
  
"Well, it's just my opinion but I think he really just needed somebody to talk to. He seems awful lonely a lot of the time."  
  
She nodded and took the information. "Is there like, anything else you can tell me like, maybe how they started hanging out?"  
  
"Sure, Todd wanted to talk to her for a while I'm pretty sure. He sort of ambushed her at her locker a few days ago and just started talking."  
  
"Thanks." Kitty frowned at the pad as she walked away. Great, now she had conflicting information.  
  
Tabby was in the TV room, which Kurt had apparently since departed from, playing a search and destroy video game.  
  
"Um, Tabby?"  
  
She paused the game. "Yeah?"  
  
"I was like, wondering if you knew anything about Toad and Ebony."  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
"Well, um, anything you know is good."  
  
She shrugged. "Ebony's really annoying. Seems kind of clingy. I don't know if Todd's gonna react well to that."  
  
"So they are like, going out?"  
  
"Looks like it. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Like, no reason. Just curious. Well, I'll let you get back to your game." Kitty waited to jot down the notes when she was out of the room.  
  
Next on the list was the only material witness to the goings on, Jamie Madison, a twelve or so kid who'd gone to see a monster movie and come back with something a lot weirder.  
  
"Oh, Hi Kitty," the boy piped.  
  
"Hi Jamie. Like, I heard you saw Ebony at the movies the other day?"  
  
"Yeah, it was gross! I think I saw them kissing!!" he confided disgustedly.  
  
"But you aren't sure?"  
  
"Well, it was dark and they were in front of me. And it was during this awesome scene where a bunch of these Zombies were getting hacked to pieces! Then they started hacking apart the Michael guy and it got kinda mushy."  
  
"Um, that's nice. Can you tell me anything else, about them, not the movie."  
  
"Well Ebony looked really upset after they came out, like she'd been crying. I don't know why though. Maybe that guy did something to her."  
  
"Thanks a lot Jamie." She got up to leave.  
  
"Hey, Kitty, will you play Mortal Kombat with me?"  
  
"Um, I'm not very good at video games. Why don't you ask Tabby? She's in the TV room right now."  
  
"Okay!" he leapt up with preadolescent fervor.  
  
Kitty considered who she could interview next. She seemed to be out of all the likely candidates. Maybe Rogue would know something. Only one problem, she had barely come out of her room since after school the day before.  
  
She knocked on her friend's door.  
  
"What d' you want?" Rogue snapped.  
  
"It's me, Kitty. Can I come in?"  
  
"Whatevah."  
  
She opened the door and walked into the darkened room. "Are you like okay Rogue?"  
  
"Ahm fine."  
  
"Um, okay," Kitty didn't really believe her but if she wanted to pretend she was alright. "Um, I kinda wanted to ask you a question."  
  
"What."  
  
"Well, do you know anything about Ebony and Todd?"  
  
"Yeah, I know that you're making them miserable with your gossip!" she glared.  
  
"But I'm trying to find out what really happened."  
  
"Look, you need to just stay out of other people's business!" Rogue's anger flared. "Your jus' makin' them miserable when they've got a chance to maybe be happy! Happy!! At leas' somebody round here has that chance! Jus leave 'em alone! Leave me alone too while you're at it!!"  
  
She buried her face in the pillow.  
  
"Rogue?"  
  
"Just go away!" came a muffled sob.  
  
Kitty thought it best to leave. Out in the hall she wondered what had made her so upset? Kitty decided she should tell the Professor. If Rogue was that unhappy about something.  
  
"Professor?" he was in his study.  
  
"Yes Kitty?"  
  
"I think something's wrong with Rogue."  
  
"Yes, I sensed her distress. Did she tell you what was the matter?"  
  
"No, but she got really upset when I asked her about Todd and Ebony."  
  
"You really shouldn't go around spreading rumors Kitty," he advised.  
  
"But I'm trying to find out so that there won't be anymore rumors."  
  
"Hm, that does seem like a worthy cause."  
  
"Do you know anything about it Professor?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure I should say Kitty, if they wanted you to know they'd tell you themselves."  
  
"Could you like, just tell me your opinion Professor?"  
  
"Well, I suppose. If you really want to know, I don't think the relationship will work out. But, I'm afraid that's all you'll get from me Kitty. Now if you'll excuse me?"  
  
She nodded and left the office, committing the Professor's words to paper.  
  
***  
  
The three mutants returned from the mall mostly unscathed this time. However, Remy looked a little bemused but not upset. He seemed to have gotten nothing at the mall. Ebony looked zoned out and Todd looked disturbingly smug. The size of their shopping bags more than made up for Remy's lack there of.  
  
Kitty was just leaving the Professor's office when they walked in the door. It took her a moment to recognize the boy standing next to Ebony.  
  
Is that him? She thought to herself. I can't be! He actually looks.not ugly. [A/N: Kitty would say he looked passable if he looked like a god!] She ran off to report this and her other findings to Kurt.the Detective. She was beginning to think that something strange really was going on here!  
  
Todd turned to Ebony. "Can we put these away? The bags are exactly as heavy as they look."  
  
She nodded and they headed for his room. He put the things down on the floor; he really wished that he had as much strength in his arms as he did in his legs. Then he noticed the box on his bed.  
  
"Yo, whassat? I hope it ain't another bomb." He eyed it suspiciously.  
  
Ebony looked at it. "Oh! It's your new uniform!" she exclaimed. "Open it! I wonder what it looks like?"  
  
He opened it cautiously, still worried about booby traps. What he found inside was worse than a bomb. "No way I am wearing that EVER!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
He shoved it at her. He was right, it was pretty awful. It was a green spandex bodysuit with a black frill thing around the neck and oversized black gloves and boots. It resembled the outfit of a (very depressed) court jester from a renaissance fair. Oh, and it had a black X on one shoulder.  
  
"Um, that is pretty bad. Maybe we should see the Professor about this."  
  
"Did he pick it out yo?"  
  
"Well, I've heard that he does but I'm sure this is some kind of mix up."  
  
"All I can say is it better be, yo."  
  
The two made their way to Xavier's study.  
  
"Um, Professor,"  
  
"Yes?" he put his hands together over the desk.  
  
"We were kinda wondering."  
  
"Skip it." Todd held up the outfit. "What is this yo? Some kinda bad joke?"  
  
"No, that is your team uniform, Toad."  
  
"Yeah right. What are you trying to pull?"  
  
"I assure you that was designed with you and your powers specifically in mind. It is purely functional."  
  
He held up the frill, "Oh yeah, what's this do 'Professor', cut down my wind resistance? Or is it 'designed' to make my opponent underestimate me?"  
  
"You'll have to trust me with this I'm afraid."  
  
"Trust you? The only reason I'm here-"  
  
Ebony nudged him. "Maybe you shouldn't fight with him Todd," she murmured.  
  
He gave a defeated half snarl and slunk from the room.  
  
"Sorry to bother you Professor," she said in parting.  
  
"Quite all right Ebony."  
  
Out in the hall Todd grimaced. "Yo, am I the only one who can see that he's got some kinda grudge against me?"  
  
"I'm sure he doesn't! I mean there's gotta be some reason."  
  
"Eb, you think too highly of people." He eyed a bowl of fruit in the hallway. "He thinks I'm some kinda clown maybe I should juggle a couple of these at his head." He picked up three oranges.  
  
"Can you actually juggle?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Sure," he replied. "Max, this guy at the orphanage taught me. He got dumped there by his parents when they caught him after he'd run away and joined the circus." He started juggling the three oranges.  
  
"Why'd they bother tracking him down if they didn't want him anyway?"  
  
"Guess they couldn't stand the thought a him bein' free of 'em. Toss me a few a those apples Eb, I'm a little outta practice."  
  
"How much can you juggle at once?"  
  
"Eight. Max said I was a natural."  
  
"Oh, that's nice. Let's go put your new clothes away. Maybe we can figure out a way to make the professor give you a new uniform."  
  
***  
  
He tapped on her door. No answer. He opened it gently. For a moment he thought no one was in there. But then he saw her asleep, lying on her side. He walked up beside the bed. She'd been crying. He brushed away a not quite dry tear from her cheek. His hand was gloved.  
  
"Please don't cry Cherie." He reached into the inside pocket of his duster and brought out a very small box wrapped in silver paper with a blue bow. He set it on the dresser beside her. Glancing only a little sadly back at her he departed the door closing behind him with a soft click.  
  
***  
  
It had only been around one in the afternoon when she'd fallen asleep but now it was dark out. It was winter, so it only meant it was six or so, but still. She closed her eyes again for a moment. She'd been dreaming. She'd been at a costume ball in a beautiful castle. At first she'd been lonely, staying by the wayside, until someone asked her to dance. He was a handsome prince, but a dark mask hid his face. It was a beautiful dance to music only possible in dreams, they'd danced for hours and hours. But then she looked down. She wasn't wearing her gloves. She'd looked up, for a moment they stood and everything seemed for one tiny second that it was alright again. And then the prince had shattered into a trillion particles of dust, his mask dissipating just soon enough for her to see his face.  
  
"Remy," she whispered the name like the name of something utterly forbidden. She turned quickly to hide her face from no one when a glint of silver caught her eye. She looked at it. It was a small box no bigger than two and a half inches square, wrapped in silver with blue ribbon.  
  
"What?" she picked it up. "Who?" carefully she undid the bow and took the top off the box. Inside was something else silver. A single chocolate candy, nothing more. But beneath it was a small slip of paper. She took both little objects out.  
  
'A kiss for Mon Cherie' was all the note said, that was what the candy was, a Hershey kiss. Tears welled in her eyes. Delicately she unwrapped the thing and held it in her mouth until it melted completely, and until even the taste was gone.  
  
***  
  
I was in my private room when Ms. Pryde returned.  
  
"Kurt, I got a lot of information, but not all of it makes sense."  
  
"Zhat happens sometimes sweetheart. Just tell me what ya got."  
  
"Um, well Lance says they're an item. And Pietro says he's giving Toad dating tips and thinks that's why they're dating. But the Blob thinks their just friends. Tabby doesn't think he and Ebony are right for each other. She said she thought she was too clingy for Todd. Um," she flipped the page on her notes. "Jamie says they might have been kissing at the movie and Ebony definitely came out crying, but he doesn't know why. Rogue got really upset and I think she said she thought they had a chance to be happy. The Professor doesn't think their relationship will work out."  
  
I nodded. This was more or less what I already knew, but now at least I had some confirmation, and the opinions of a few key witnesses. "Anything else Ms Pryde?"  
  
"Um yeah! I guess they just got back from the mall and it looked like they'd gone clothes shopping. From what I could see he was mostly dressed in leather."  
  
Tolensky in leather? I shook my head. That was a thought to give even an experienced PI like me nightmares for weeks. I took off my hat and brushed back my hair. "So do you think he picked 'em out himself sveetheart?"  
  
"I donno Kurt, they had a couple of bags though. Ebony kinda like looked dazed. Like she'd been hit with something."  
  
"Think he hit her?"  
  
"Remy was with them."  
  
I didn't know much about this LeBeau guy. He was newer in town than Ebony, just up from New Orleans. Didn't know how far I could trust him. "Why don't you go see what he thinks?"  
  
"Right now?"  
  
"Nah. How about you and me have a drink, discuss somethin' other than a case for once."  
  
"Like, you mean soda right?"  
  
"Whatever you say doll."  
  
"Sure I-" she glanced at the time. "Oh shoot Kurt! I can't I promised Lance I'd go to the movies with him. I'm sorry."  
  
"Some other time zhen, Ms. Pryde, I am open to rain checks."  
  
"Okay." She turned to go.  
  
"Ms. Pryde?"  
  
"Yes Detective?"  
  
I shook my head. "Nothin'."  
  
She left.  
  
Don't you come out cryin' too babe.  
  
***  
  
What do you think? Its got mystery, its got romance its got angst and eventually it has action. What more does it need? Oh, and I need help, now I don't know if I'm for Lance/Kitty or Kurtty. Darn!  
  
One more thing, the Scarlet Witch in Evolution is SCARY!  
  
Please review! 


	14. Mostly Harmless

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hello again everyone. Sorry for the chapter delay. My Dad, Mr. Paranoia.  
  
I have an announcement to make. Since I have just passed the fifty review mark I am going to do something special. I'm going to take a break from this authors note and let someone else take care of it. *Walks away*  
  
*Someone mumbles* Why me yo? I don' write. *Toad walks on to the stage* Um, hey yo. Since Bunny seems to have, taken a nap? I guess I have to do this. Not that I know what I'm doin' or nothin'. So.how's this supposed to work again? *flips through a few note cards* Reply to reviews huh. H'okay.  
  
Akasha: *Blushes* yeah, we kissed so what? *grumble* 'Snot some kinda big deal or nothin'. Bunny's dad's a freak yo. He don't understand that this kinda thing's important yo.  
  
Queenducky: Why's this such a big deal yo?! I mean jeez. *pouts* Stupid frenchy walking in.I'm sure Bunny's glad that you think she cool. I donno about Rogue playin' hard ta get y'know? She really seems to have a thing for frenchy. Not sayin' I wouldn't like him to have some trouble. Smug bastard. *blushes* yeah, that's what Ebony said too, 'bout the pants yo. Well, Bogart wadn't blue for one thing yo. An' Boggie woulda had the sense ta stay outta my personal business. Damn fuzzball.  
  
Cera Toynbee: Yeah, Kurt's flipped yo. Pretty funny. Maybe I oughta get a few snaps a 'Bluegart' Labyrinth's a cool movie yo. One a Bunny's favs I've heard. 'Bout some fantasy fan chick who wishes that the Goblin King would take her pesty little brother away. Then he does cuz he's in love wit her. You're tellin' me the Witch is terrifyin'! She waddn't throwin' bits a ceilin' at you! Oughtta put a B in there insteada a W! Not that she wasn't hot.yo, you didn't here me say that, got it? We better get more screen time yo! Man, we was barely in the last buncha eps! I shoulda had a bigger part in last chapter yo, after all, it's my story.  
  
Red Witch: You're damn right I need a new costume! Goddamn Xavier wit his twisted psychic sense a' humor! I'll give him a jester! *grumble, snarl* slime him? That's a great idea! Lance agrees wit you on that one. I think Tabby has her eye on the fur freak anyhow.  
  
Todd Fan: Gee, I have a fan yo. The accent's dumb normally but yesterday I wanted to die laughin'! Okay, heX factor summary. Scarlet B/Witch is in the looney bin in a conselin' session wit Xavier the savior, but she goes psycho an' starts breakin' up the joint. Mystique comes an' gets her, an' brings her back ta the house. She yells at us for lettin' the place look like a bomb zone. Tabby insults her, an' goes to throw one a' her blast things at her but Pietro grabs it who tosses it to Fred who hands it ta me an I get blown up! Major bad hair yo. Then she introduces Wanda (the witch) an she goes psycho seein' Piet. Then Mystique kicks Tabby out, but Tabby wrecks her room first. So turns out daddy Magneto left Wanda in the funny farm because he couldn't handle her powers. So she has a major anger management problem. So Mysty sics us on the X-geeks at the mall an' we get beat as usual until SW comes in an' beats the crap outta them. They actually had to run yo! What a blow to Summers' ego!  
  
Well, that wadn't so hard yo. Whas this? Summarize upcomin' chapter? Huh. Well it's Sunday yo. And we're still stuck with the X-Geeks. Man, how lame is that yo? This chapter's got more a' yours truly cuz I'm cool. An' the Fuzzball plays detective some more. Some stuff from Ebs' pov. Hm, what else can I say? A disclaimer?  
  
Disclaimer: Bunny don't own nobody. She created Ebs though; she gets points for that. Bunny's friend Luke sorta has claim to the 'if by ___, you mean ____' line. The title's a rip from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  
  
Chapter 14.Mostly Harmless  
  
Toad woke up with light streaming through the unfortunately pale colored curtains. The first thing he asked himself before he opened his eyes or remembered where he was, was who had opened his curtains? The second thing he asked himself was why wasn't he cold? The Brotherhood house had real bad heating. Then he recalled the bomb, and the fact that he was in the Institute. The Charles Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. What kinda name was that anyway? More like home for freaky teenagers. He turned over and buried his face in the pillow. First thing this place needed was black curtains like he'd had before. Then he could work on the wall space. Well, one plus, the bed was softer.  
  
He didn't bother wresting himself from bed, it was Sunday and dammit he was going to lay here as long as he liked! His thoughts drifted idly to the events of the previous day. First, get up. Find bomb under coffeepot, get the hell out of the house. Then, walk to the Home for Teen Freaks. Hang around for a while. Next, go shopping at the mall. Buy leather. Kiss Ebony.kiss Ebony? Had that happened? He reviewed his memory. Yeah, it fit in with the sequence of event, chronologically if not reasonably. He lay back with his arms under his head. Huh. He grinned.  
  
He rolled out of bed, literally, and landed in a crouching position. He grabbed one of his new pairs of jeans out of the dresser and a brown long- sleeve shirt. Putting them on, he eyed the goggles on the dresser. Well, why not? After all, he liked them who cared what anybody else thought, right? He pulled them on over his scraggly brown/blond hair, letting his bangs fall over them. He always slept with his spiked cuffs on. [A/N: Pay attention! That is actually a plot point that will be explained later!]  
  
There was a mirror on the closet door. He gave it a cursory glance. Not bad Tolensky, better than usual. Not that he cared or nothin'.  
  
The hall was basically empty, only basically because the blue furred freak was lurking near the end of the hall. "Mornin' Fuzzball." Todd greeted with a genial sneer.  
  
Kurt raised an eyebrow and gave an unconcerned wave. He was still wearing The Hat, but now he also had on a trench coat and seemed to be smoking. What he really had in his mouth was a cut off piece of drinking straw. Todd wondered what the guy thought he was doing but didn't bother asking. He hopped down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
  
"Mornin' Summers." He snapped his tongue out across the room and grabbed the toaster waffle Scott was buttering.  
  
"Hey!" Shades was both surprised and offended.  
  
"You want it back?" he rolled his tongue out. The burned bread was slimy.  
  
"No. thanks," he deferred, disgusted.  
  
Todd shrugged and swallowed it. He flipped up and sat on the counter. "S'up, yo?"  
  
Although no one could see it Scott rolled his eyes. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"  
  
"Who else is up, yo?" the Toad grinned.  
  
He sighed shook his head putting another waffle in the toaster.  
  
A moment later Todd did a handspring off the counter grabbing the second waffle as it popped from the toaster.  
  
"Hey! Cut it out Toad!"  
  
He munched it. "That ain't right yo. Don't you know anything? You're supposed to say 'leggo my eggo!'"  
  
"Man Tolensky, you are such a loser."  
  
"If by 'loser', you mean 'poetry in motion', then yes. See ya round Shades." He did a mock salute. "An' thanks for breakfast!" He ducked out of the room.  
  
Passing through a long hallway he looked out the window. It had snowed during the night and now there was two feet of white stuff on the ground. Question was, powder or the good stuff?  
  
***  
  
Sunday morning. I flipped through the notes Ms. Pryde had left me, interesting, but not very informative. I realized that if I was ever going to crack this case I'd have to go straight to the source. I knew Tolensky was already up, I'd seen him leave the room an hour before, but he'd be a tough nut to crack. Miss Trufire on the other hand might be a bit easier. Not that I wasn't up for a challenge. I pulled up the collar of my trench coat and took a drag off my cigarette. The Toad seemed to be acting out of character; I had to find out what was going on.  
  
I turned down the hallway to look for the little minx. Luck was with me I caught her as she came from her room cute as always and likewise dressed in her namesake.  
  
"Heya sveetheart."  
  
"Oh, hi Kurt," she looked at me with a puzzled expression, "Or are you a Ninja Turtle today?"  
  
Ninja Turtle? Doll sure wasn't bright in the mornings. I wondered if now was the time to do any serious questioning. "Private Investigator."  
  
"Oh. Is someone's cat missing?"  
  
"Actually I vas vondering if I could ask you a few questions about zhe case I'm on."  
  
She looked me over. "Um, okay?"  
  
"Have you noticed anything unusual around town in the past few days?"  
  
"Um? More unusual than usual? Unless you count the Brotherhood's bombing, and um.you're coat, then.no?"  
  
I buried my hands in my pockets. "You seem edgy lately, anything you vanna tell me about zhat?"  
  
"Oh, no. I'm fine. Honestly Kurt." She smiled but I could tell there was something on her mind. Something about her eyes and the way she was standing gave it away.  
  
I gestured to a couch by the window. "Vhy don't you have a seat Miss Trufire?"  
  
She shrugged and sat down.  
  
I paced. "Let's review zhe facts. Five days ago you caught a ride home with one Jean Grey. Something you don't normally do, am I right?"  
  
She nodded cautiously.  
  
"And am I right in saying zhat you would normally avoid doing so? Please be honest, zhis information vill go no farther zhan me sveetheart."  
  
She looked uncertain for a minute. "Well no, I kinda like to get back to school a little earlier than four."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "But is zhat zhe only reason Miss Trufire? I heard it from a reliable source that you and Ms. Grey are not notoriously, hm, let's just say you're not chummy."  
  
"What kind of case is this Kurt?" she asked biting her lip, rather obviously miffed.  
  
"An aberrant behavior case." I decided to change tactics. "Ebony I'm worried about you."  
  
Her blue/black eyes darkened further. "Oh now I know what this is about! Jerk." She started to get up to leave.  
"Vait, I just vanted to know-"  
  
She cut me off hotly. "Why I'm dating Toad? I'll tell you why. Because unlike most people I know he's a sensitive person who actually knows what he's talking about. And unlike some people standing right in front of me, he doesn't bolt whenever I come into his peripheral vision!" she stood abruptly and glance at the ceiling. A rain of black metal marbles fell upon my person.  
  
"Ow, ow ow!" by the time the spheres stopped falling two seconds later she had disappeared and a slender shadow darted away.  
  
I watched her leave, taking a drag off my cigarette. [A/N: Still the straw!] So it was me. Now all I had to do was find Tolensky's take on the action.  
  
***  
  
It was still dim in the third dimension and so it was hazy and blurred in the second, my shadow realm. It was a place where black blended into grays and it was easy to get lost. Everything was shades of gray, and shapes were sometimes hard to recognize. After she was sure she was out of the 'Detective's range I slowed from a flicker to a drift.  
  
I don't believe this! Why does everyone pick on me? I haven't done anything to them! Oh wait yeah that's right. I've broken their precious social ladder. I don't see why I should catch flack for it when Kitty gets away free and clear. Right, she's Kitty she can do whatever she wants. And she's not dating everyone's least favorite mutant. Everyone's but mine.  
  
I stretched myself out extending my being across what might have been the shadow of the floor until I was no longer 'me' shaped but a flat gray plane of not light. They'd probably be happier if I was dating Wolverine. I tried to understand the problem, but I couldn't. Todd was a mutant like everyone else important, what was so different that it made everyone ostracize him and anyone closely associated with him? Alright so his mutant powers involved being toad-like. He had a long tongue, and spit some kind of nasty goop, but only if you pissed him off. He also had really strong legs and could jump real high and probably kick like hell. How did that make him any more worthy of making him an abuse target as say, having to wear sunglasses 24/7 because otherwise your eyes pretty much explode? Or how about not being able to touch people without draining their life energy? Or what about looking like the devil with frostbite and a fur coat? Okay, so there were better powers in the world, but hell, compared to a lot of mutants I'd say he got of easy!  
  
I know I'm pretty high on the list of 'Free Ride' powers. Sure, now everything about me is either black or white. Before my eyes were a much lighter tone and I actually had a skin tone, even my blood is black but I guess it's a small price to pay. For the abilities that I've got, shadow creation, manipulation, and solidification. And my own private world where sound doesn't carry and my form is a matter of my own opinion.  
  
Just to prove a point I scattered my form into a multitude of black shadow butterflies and fluttered in a loose circle. I'm going to go find him. There's something no one else in the world knows about him, or so I assume, he's a wicked kisser.  
  
I giggled and swept off in search of him, sure that I'd recognize his shadow. But I couldn't find him in the house. I could have asked someone but I didn't feel like dealing with any other supposedly sentient beings. I finally found him outside in the back garden of all places, building a snowman. or something like one.  
It was brighter out here and I could define shapes more easily. The thing had three arms on each side, six in all and was covered in a zigzagging pattern. It also seemed to have mandibles. Its creator stepped back for a moment to admire his work. He noticed me. Or rather a flock of shadow butterflies. He looked up to see if they were really there. I coalesced into my natural shape and then back into the third dimension.  
  
"Hey, Ebony. Nice entrance. What do you think of Arachnid here?"  
  
"It's really well built." I eyed him, "How long have you been working out here?"  
  
"Um.two, maybe three hours."  
  
"Without a jacket?"  
  
"You ain't wearin' one neither."  
  
I concentrated, forming a jacket made of solidified shadow around myself. Then I made another larger one and tossed it to Todd.  
  
"Thanks yo. It was kinda cold out here."  
  
"Only five below zero." I laughed. "You aren't careful and you'll catch frostbite." I sat down on the snow, forming a blanket beneath me from the shadow of a nearby tree. "It's a really nice snow creature."  
  
"Yeah! It looks like it could beat the shit outta anybody else's snowman." He sat down next to me. I looked at him for a minute. He seemed to be in a good mood this morning, something I wouldn't have expected from anyone else who'd had their house blown up and was being forced to stay in a place full of people who didn't like him. I was sure that the rest of the Brotherhood wasn't very happy this morning. I wondered if he was really happy.  
  
He cocked his head slightly, a gesture he did rather frequently. "Sumthin' wrong Ebony?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Sure, lie to me."  
  
I sighed. "Sorry. I just. why are people so mean?" I demanded.  
  
"Donno. Been tryin' ta figure out the answer ta that one for a long time yo. Was somebody mean to you this morning?"  
  
I bit my lip. "I found out what 'detective' Kurt's been 'investigating'." My voice riddled itself with sarcasm.  
  
"Oh yeah, whassat?"  
  
"Us. More specifically he wanted to know what I was doing dating you." I snorted. "Probably jealous. Well he has his chance."  
  
"The blue furred freak was botherin' you?" he growled, then grinned. "Don' worry 'bout it, I'll get him."  
  
I smiled, "Truly thou art a chivalrous knight to avenge the honor of so small a lady as mine self." I poked him. Talking in ye olde Englishe was an amusmant of mine, but I rarely did so in company.  
  
I didn't expect him to respond in kind, but he did. "Pray, do not debase thine self so, fair maiden. Thine beauty doth outshine each of the petty nobles in so homely a court, as even thou doth smile the very roses quake with spite."  
  
"Thou dost flatter me sir knight."  
  
"Forasmuch as I be the mightiest knight on lyfe, ne'er would I dare to defile thee so! So great a lady needs no false words from mine humble tongue."  
  
I giggled. "Where did you pick that up?"  
  
"You have a better way to understand all the dirty jokes in Shakespeare?" he grinned.  
  
I smiled. Damn me for taking two whole weeks to talk to him! But then, how was I to know he such a cute poet? "Sir Todd I must needs confer to the something."  
  
"Pray, tell me what that be, lady."  
  
"I hath lost something precious to me. I thought it only misplaced before, but now I see that thou hast stolen it from me. Though I fear it of little value."  
  
"What is this thing of which you speak?"  
  
"My heart."  
  
He blinked. "Lady, thou doth grieve me so! This thing of thine I must needs keep, for it is dear to me, nay, the most dear of my possessions. Would that I had a thing of such worth to return, alas I am but a poor knight- errant and have no such thing to give. Tell me Lady, what must I do?"  
  
"In all the lands there is but one thing I seek."  
  
"Truly lady, I would brave the depths of hell and all its demons to bring it to thee. What quest must I pursue in name of fair Lady Ebony?"  
  
I laughed. "Knight, you needs must do no such thing! The thing I seek is thine heart as thou dost hold mine own captive."  
  
"Alas, lady! Again you grieve me! My heart is no longer mine to give! For it has been lost to a dark enchantress."  
  
"Tell me of the harlot!"  
  
He shook his head. "Lady thou doth mistake mine words. The maid of which I speak is a lady of highest stature, a beauty who's grace I am not worthy to perceive."  
  
"Tell me of this lady, so mine heart might be sorrowed or gladdened."  
  
"Thee, my lady, thou art the enchantress the maid who hast stolen my heart! It was reft truly from my breast 'fore e'en thine eyes turned upon mine humble figure. So I tell you my heart is no longer mine own to give or keep. But what would thou have of me, as thou dost here to for posses that small token which thou told me was thine only desire."  
  
"If sir Knight thou dost speak as truly as thou dost with eloquence then I must needs no more! But if it is truly thine wish yo please me, pray, speak of me in verse."  
  
"I am afraid that I am as poor a poet as a knight, lady."  
  
"Thou speaketh falsely, sir Knight, wherefore is thine gallantry of late? Or perhaps thine words were falsehoods all!" I teased making my eyes large and sorrowful.  
  
"Nay! Nay my lady! Weep not! If verse is thine desire then verse shall be thine!" he thought for a moment.  
  
"My lady fair has silken hair,  
  
Of lustrous raven tone.  
  
My lady wise has night sky eyes,  
  
With stars of theirs alone.  
  
And as I knight I to her vow  
  
My time is hers to bide.  
  
And I shall quest o'er mountain high  
  
For such she dare confide.  
  
My lady fair of trust and care  
  
In thine name shall I fight,  
  
As long as long as I shall live and breathe,  
  
As thine unworthy knight."  
  
He had started slowly, uneasily, and rather nervously, but he finished with a flourish. On the last line he took my hand and kissed it.  
  
I was stunned, had he made that up on the spot? "Sir Knight, is that lovely verse thine own unrehearsed creation? Pray, do not speak falsely!"  
  
"My lady thine beauty did inspire me so, I know not what muse overtook mine lips!"  
  
"A knight so gallant and eloquent deserves a just reward!" I leaned toward him. "But I have no such thing. Prithee, wouldst thou accept a kiss instead?"  
  
"If mine lady wouldst bestow one, I would be in rapture."  
  
"Come forward then, Sir Todd, so that I may bestow thine reward!"  
  
I leaned forward and kissed him.  
  
The kiss was a moment of warm bliss. The snow seemed to melt away. So did the Institute and the sky and the ground, humanity and all existence. All that existed was Todd with his arms around me and his lips gently moving over mine.  
  
Far too soon the reality of breath became necessary. He looked at me, his sometimes cold eyes were soft and they melted into a concerned expression.  
  
"Yo, Ebony? When you were sayin' all that stuff about stealing your heart, did you. mean that?"  
  
I smiled his insecurity was sort of endearing. I nodded cheerfully and told him the truth. "Yup, ya scrappy little thief." I poked him.  
  
He grinned, a little embarrassed I think. "Good, cuz y'know I meant what I said too. .I .I love you Ebony."  
  
He was so sweet. How could ANYONE not like him? I hugged him around the waist and nuzzled him. "I love you too Todd." I grinned maliciously. "You're a cute poet and a wicked kisser." He turned of course a bright shade of red. I kissed him again.  
  
***  
  
I watched the two as they spoke; listening from beneath a snow covered bush. They never noticed me, snooping was my business. I grinned smugly, putting out my cigarette. [A/N: STILL the straw] Another case solved. Neither of the suspects guilty, and though the culprit walked free there was little even a great gumshoe could do about it. The dastardly fiend had struck again. No, not even Kurt Wagner, PI, stood a chance against love. The Case of the Bedraggled Boyfriend was closed.  
  
~  
  
Hi, it's me Bunny. I'm back! What do you think? For God's sake REVIEW ME. This is the last time Detective Kurt shows up in Darwinian Rhapsody, at least for some time. BUT I like the idea SO much I'm breaking it off as a separate story! Kurt likes being a detective enough that he puts an ad in the school paper. On a routine 'case' (Is so and so cheating on so and so?) he gets mixed up in a real mystery! Murder, suspense, intrigue, romance, HUMOR! See it all in 'Bluegart' by LejindaryBunny. A mysterious X-Men: Evolution detective novel! Coming soon.  
In the next chapter of Darwinian Rhapsody, however, everyone returns to school. Will anything be different when they get back? And someone phones Principal Kelly. Who is it and why is it important to the story? Find out, SOON! (Tomorrow, hopefully) 


	15. Fall From All Sides

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: *Sniff* I feel sick. I came home early from school today. (  
  
The plot is about to start picking up again, the action oriented part instead of the romance oriented part, though, there is still romance! As if I could write anything without it!  
  
WarKnyte: I'm honestly not trying to make it anti-Xavier. We just happen to differ in opinion on a few key philosophical points. And I do think he seems to have something against my poor Toddy.  
  
Queenducky: I like when I update every day. Writer's block is my hell.  
  
Todd fan: Woohoo, Brooklyn accent. Heh. I like ye olde englishe.  
  
VirgoMoon: The most wonderful story you've read? *sobs for joy* Of COURSE IT'S not over!!!! The one thing about stories that I hate is endings. Remy and Rogue will get together, what sort of author do you think I am? Honestly, keeping those two apart! But only after lotsa angst!  
  
Mrs. S is my math teacher; she's a nice person but gives out WAY too much homework.  
  
This chapter is a day at school, a not very fun day at school. Ebony has an unexpected visitor at the institute.  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN THEM ALL! I AM STAN LEE IN DISGUISE! (.not really.)  
  
Chapter 15.Fall From All Sides  
  
He was standing in the middle of a familiar room. He took a step and the room grew a size smaller. Another step and it grew smaller still. There was no door. He panicked. He dashed about madly trying to find a way out as the room closed in on him. Soon it was so small that there was barely enough space for him to sit even with his arms around his legs. He sat whimpering but unmoving, knowing that if he moved he would be crushed to death.  
  
He sat in the box for a long time.  
  
He heard a voice.  
  
"Don't you want out?"  
  
He didn't move. "There is no way out."  
  
There was laughter. "Silly. Just stand up."  
  
He stood, all the time he'd been in the box he hadn't noticed that there was no lid. Now he was in a never-ending garden of beautiful flowers.  
  
"Watch out, they're poison." The voice from the box said. He looked down to see a small brown fox.  
  
"Poison?"  
  
The fox nodded. "If you touch one you'll become one."  
  
He looked at the flowers, which seemed to have faces that he recognized. They glared at him.  
  
"They hate everyone who isn't a flower. The roses are the worst."  
  
It gestured a paw to the roses on a hill. A bright haughty red rose with gray ruffled edges, another red rose with closed eyes and a grim expression. There was a black rose with no leaves only thorns, a pink rose bud and there was a blue one with too many leaves. Above them all was a flesh colored rose with no face at all.  
  
"Do you want to stay here?" the fox asked him. "With the roses?"  
  
"It's horrible."  
  
It shrugged. "Some choose to stay. The blue one and the black one, they were like us once."  
  
"Is there a cure?"  
  
"Only for one who seeks it himself. They will take no help from you." It turned to him. "Then you would leave this place?"  
  
"Can I?"  
  
"It is difficult. More difficult than escaping an open box."  
  
"Can you lead me?"  
  
"I think so." They began away down a path through the garden.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"I was considering becoming a rose."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"There was no one to talk to. They're very friendly to other roses." The fox skipped down the path. "But now you're here."  
  
"Does that make a difference?"  
  
"I'm still a fox aren't I?"  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
It turned and grinned. "That would be telling."  
  
The two of them came to the edge of a dark forest, with ugly trees and thorny vines and unkempt growth. The path led straight through it.  
  
"Do you want to keep going?"  
  
"Is there another way?"  
  
"I suppose there would be if you could fly." Fox crossed the edge of the forest. "Coming?"  
  
They walked through the dense woods for some time until coming upon a small clearing was a large white rat, addressing a circle of other rodents. A brown mouse, a smaller gray rat, a large squirrel and some other rodent he couldn't identify.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked the fox.  
  
"The white rat is trying to get them to attack the roses for him."  
  
"Will they?"  
  
"Only if he bites them hard enough. Are you coming, or would you like to stay here?"  
  
"I'm coming."  
  
It looked at him and sighed. "No you aren't, you're stuck in the quicksand. It seems I'm not a very good guide after all."  
  
He looked down; he was indeed sinking fast in quicksand.  
  
Then three large ravens swooped from the sky and attacked the fox. He struggled to help. He grabbed a branch with his tongue and pulled himself off, then waved the ravens away with a hand.  
  
"Thank you," the fox said. "Look, we've come to the end of the forest."  
  
"That wasn't so hard."  
  
"Oh dear, perhaps you shouldn't have said that," At those words a thousand more hideous ravens swooped down and carried the fox away.  
  
The alarm clock rang and Todd sat straight up in bed and turned it off. He ran a hand through his hair and blinked several times.  
  
"That was some crazy dream yo," he said to himself. He glanced at the clock. Time to get ready for school, joy. He yawned and dismissed the already fading dream. He didn't even want to try to sort it all out.  
  
He pulled on a sweatshirt, a pair of black jeans and his goggles. He ran a comb through his hair but all that did was make even more of it stick up than usual. He ran his hand through it and got it back to normal. He grabbed his book bag from the corner, which held his still undone homework, and left the room.  
  
He spotted Ebony coming from her room. Her hair was wet; she must have gotten up earlier than he did. She saw him.  
  
"G'morning Todd!" she chimed running up and hugging him.  
  
"Mornin' yo," he kissed her quickly. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Okay. You?"  
  
"I had this funky dream yo. I was in this box an' then there was this talkin' fox an' a bunch a evil roses an these forest rats. I don't really remember much about it yo."  
  
"That's weird. C'mon let's go eat something."  
  
The dining room and kitchen were packed as always on school mornings. Todd thought he saw Pietro drinking a cup of coffee. Well, whoever'd let him have it would learn real fast.  
  
They were eating when Lance came around. "Hey Todd. The Prof's letting me borrow a car, you two want a ride?"  
  
Todd looked at Ebony who looked around for Remy. He was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged.  
  
"Sure," he replied.  
  
***  
  
School was utterly normal; moving into the Institute had caused no great revelation of peace for any of them. Both sides still sat at separate tables and snapped at each other in the hallways  
  
The day did however, herald a something new for Ebony, well new for this school at least.  
  
"May I please see your homework Kimberly?" Mrs. S hovered above her like a vulture ready to strike.  
  
"Um, I left it at home?" she made a big, 'I'm really sorry' teary eyed face.  
  
The teacher sighed. "This is what, your third weak here Kim? And out of twelve homework assignments you have turned in three. I'm very disappointed with you. You're a bright girl and you are letting that go to waste. Could you at least tell me WHY you feel the need to never have your homework?"  
  
Her eyes now really filled with tears. One thing Ebony really hated was having teachers upset with her. It made her feel bad and she didn't even know why.  
  
"I'm sorry Mrs.-"  
  
"I'm afraid that sorry isn't going to work this time. You will report to detention this afternoon." She turned and walked away.  
  
She nodded and swallowed back tears.  
  
"Don' worry 'bout it, I'll take care a it," Todd muttered from the desk beside hers.  
  
He pulled out his notebook and ripped out four pages. The first two he deftly folded into sleek paper airplanes, the second two he ripped into tiny confetti like pieces and put into the fold of the planes. Ebony looked at him quizzically. He grinned.  
  
The first airplane he threw so that it went in a straight line across the classroom dumping shreds of paper on all the students it passed. The second he threw so that it didn't jettison its load until it was directly above Mrs. S.  
  
"Detention Mr. Tolensky," she growled brushing the paper from her hair and going back to her notes.  
  
Ebony peered at him. "I'm sorry now you've got detention too," she whispered.  
  
"That was the whole point yo. We'll really get her back tomorrow."  
  
***  
  
In his office Principal Kelly's phone rang.  
  
"Hello? .Yes I am.I'm aware of that sir.Now just a minute, who are you? .Oh, oh I see well in that case." his thin lips curled into a tight smile. "Yes, I'd appreciate that very much.three of them you say? .That should suffice.two days time? I'll make sure everything is in order.Yes I know we both want to clear up this problem.filth describes them quite aptly. You'll be in touch I assume? Good. Good then.Yes, to business." He hung up the phone an satisfied expression crossing his face.  
  
***  
  
Detention was boring; the monitor had watched the small group of 'delinquents' like a hawk. Ebony and Todd hadn't even been able to pass a note.  
  
When the hour of deadly boredom finally ended they practically flew from the classroom.  
  
"Wow, after two months I'd almost forgotten how boring that is," Ebony bit her lip. "Shoot."  
  
"What, yo?"  
  
"We have no ride home; nobody but us was after school today."  
  
"Great, so we have to walk home. Must be twenty below out there yo." He pouted, leaning against somebody's locker.  
  
She thought a moment. "Well, when I go shadow I can't feel heat or cold."  
  
"Well that solves your problem."  
  
"I can bring you with me, silly. But.I can't guarantee that we won't get lost."  
  
He shrugged. "Too cold to worry 'bout sumpthin' like that."  
  
She nodded. "Okay, oh.shoot."  
  
"What now yo?"  
  
"Your clothes. I can't bring inanimate stuff. I'll have to make you shadow copies and you can leave your stuff in your locker. Is that okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
She looked at him and in her hands formed likenesses of each of his articles of clothing, from his shirt to pants to shoes. She handed them to him. "Why don't you go in the bathroom and change?"  
  
When he returned Ebony had to admit that he looked rather mysteriously dashing in all black.  
  
The two of them made their way from the nearly deserted high school. Outside it was bitterly cold and windy and there were piles of snow as high as Ebony's shoulder, somewhere around four feet high.  
  
She looked about to make sure there was no one watching. "Okay, take my hand." Tentatively he did so, his webbed fingers clasping her delicate ones.  
  
She closed her eyes.  
  
"Yo, this ain't gonna hurt is it?"  
  
"No." She took a breath; depth lost track of their whereabouts.  
  
It was like nothing Todd had ever felt before. The closest way it could be described is to say that it was like being run over by a steamroller in zero gravity and even that is so far off its laughable.  
  
When the transition was over with and he became aware of anything again his senses were boggled by what they told him. Everything was flat, featureless and a varying degree of black. He looked down at himself and saw only darkness.  
  
: Don't let go of my hand: Ebony 'said' to him, though there was no sound. : Wow, I was wondering how we'd communicate:  
  
: This place is weird yo:  
  
On a whim she waxed poetic. : It is a place of void. For darkness is nothing, a lack of light only. We no longer exist, we are without being. I am the daughter of absence:  
  
:'Ats creepy yo. Are we gonna get goin':  
  
She nodded. : This may feel odd, I'm going to dilute our images so people don't weird out at the sight of ownerless shadows:  
  
She spread their existence across a gray area and they began to swiftly flicker towards the Institute.  
  
Thankfully they did not get lost and Ebony brought them back into physical space on the front steps of the mansion. There was an unfamiliar car in the driveway.  
  
"That was weird yo. Cool, but definitely weird." He shook his head. They walked in.  
  
Xavier was waiting for them. "Ebony, you've got a visitor waiting in your room."  
  
She nodded puzzled and walked upstairs, not waiting for him to tell her who it was. She opened the door.  
  
Sitting on her bed was a woman of just above average height. She had a full- featured face with large pouting lips generously applied with deep red lipstick. Her eyes sported green eye shadow and thick mascara; her cheekbones were rouged to make them appear higher. The concealor and anti- aging creams couldn't hide the wrinkles that were beginning to form beneath them. She wore a fashionable white blouse and miniskirt with pantyhose and tiny high heels. She wore too many gold bracelets and had a gold wedding band on one of her rather gaunt fingers. Her hair was blonde and permed and would soon need to be dyed to prevent brown roots from showing. She was smoking.  
  
"Mother?" Ebony took a step back from Angela Lawrence-Trufire.  
  
"Long time no see, kid." She took a drag off her cigarette. "Nice place ya conned your way into."  
  
Ebony's expression darkened and she shut the door. But she stayed standing. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for my runaway daughter, that's what."  
  
"No daughter of yours is a mutie freak, remember?" she asked coldly.  
  
"Attack me for feeling like I've failed my daughter, that's right. I was worried about your well being, Kim."  
  
"You were worried about your social status mother, admit it. What did you come here for?" she glared.  
  
"Don't you dare take that tone with me Kimberly Trufire!" she snapped. "I came to tell you that your father and I are willing to take you back and this is how you treat me, your mother?"  
  
"Take me back? As far as I recall, I left on my own." She regarded her mother carefully. "What's the catch?"  
  
"To what?"  
  
"Taking me back."  
  
"Your father and I have located a doctor who seems to be able to treat mutantcy. We want you to see him."  
  
Ebony nearly choked. "You want to take me back just so you can force me to see some quack who claims that he can purge my DNA structure of a genetic variance, a genetic superiority, even. Sorry 'mom' no dice."  
  
"Why you ungrateful - I could call the police you know. Have you outta here and anywhere I want in-"  
  
"As if the police could catch me. That's what started all this, remember? When they tried to pick me up for theft." She grinned smugly. "Face it, I like, no I love being a mutant."  
  
"You love being a freak of nature."  
  
Someone knocked on the door, "Yo, Eb, who's your visitor?"  
  
Ebony felt a delicious sense of nasty irony, of poetic justice, or maybe just poetic vengeance, rising within her. "C'mon in, I want you to meet her."  
  
The door opened and he entered the room.  
  
"What is that, that Thing?" her mother demanded.  
  
She grinned wickedly and Todd looked confused. "Todd, this is, rather unfortunately, my mother. 'Mom' I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Todd Tolensky. They call him the Toad."  
  
"Your what!? That is it young lady! I take back everything I said. There is no help for you! Consider us through!" She got up swiftly. "As of now, Kimberly Lily Trufire, you have no mother."  
  
"Fine with me," she said as the woman left the room, "Oh and Angela, my name's Ebony."  
  
When the woman was gone Todd looked at her. "That was your mom, yo?"  
  
"Nope, you heard lady. I have no mother." She smiled ruefully. "Some boyfriend you are too, you haven't even kissed me since this morning." She crossed her arms and pouted.  
  
He swung her gently against the wall and kissed her. "That better yo?"  
  
"Much," she turned from the room. "C'mon, I need to ask the professor a favor."  
  
She found Xavier downstairs.  
  
"Professor? Can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
"If she comes around here again, don't let her in."  
  
~  
  
Well, what do you think was it a decent chapter to get the plot ball rolling again? What about the dream sequence? And Ebony's 'mom'.  
  
Review me! Next chapter, Ebony and Todd swap origin stories! You don't want to miss it! Ebony's mom has no basis in real life whatsoever. I love my mommy!! 


	16. The Long and Twisted Path

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Something I've been wanting to write for a while, Ebony's origin story and my take on Todd's past, sorry if it doesn't agree with your version.  
  
Disclaimer: As though I had the money to buy the rights to X-Men. *shakes head* Honestly.  
  
Chapter 16.The Long and Twisted Path (Part 1)  
  
Ebony lay stretched out on the couch idly. She sighed.  
  
"'S wrong Eb?" Todd asked looking up.  
  
"She didn't used to be like that you know. At least, it wasn't so obvious that she hated me."  
  
He knew she was talking about her mother. "What did she used to act like?"  
  
"I really don't know if I want to talk about it.."  
  
"C'mon yo. I know so little about you. I mean, what was your life like before? How did you find out about your powers for the first time?"  
  
"I don't know much about you either Froggy."  
  
He thought for a moment. "So why don't we swap stories yo. You tell yours then I'll tell mine."  
  
"I don't know.it'll sound like a sob story."  
  
"So? You think my life's all sunshine an' roses yo?"  
  
She bit her lip. "Okay.but only if you absolutely promise to tell me about you afterwards, no chickening out."  
  
He nodded.  
  
She drew breath and began.  
  
***  
  
I was born in a little suburb in Michigan to a couple who already had a bright six year old little boy. My parents' names were Angela and Jonathan; my older brother was Shane. We had a house, nothing big but I always had my own room. Maybe that's how it started.  
  
I was a loner from the first. My parents had only recently moved from Washington, so they didn't know anyone in the area and they didn't belong to any church groups. I really didn't get a chance to associate with other children until I started kindergarten. My brother was always too busy to play with me. I watched a lot of television or played little pretend games by myself.  
  
When I did start kindergarten I was very quiet and didn't really talk to anyone else. My teacher called my parents and it was determined that I needed to play with others more. With their pressure I tried to talk to other little kids, but by this time I had a Reputation. No one would talk to me. The girls said I was weird, the boys of course thought that I had cooties. Like I cared anyway. But my parents were adamant that I make friends. So I smiled more and made sure I was standing next to someone whenever the teacher looked over during playtime.  
  
For the first few years I had good grades. Imaginative, the teachers called me, and exceptionally bright.  
  
Both my grades and my social habits continued through fifth grade. Then as work got more serious and they started assigning real homework my grades started to drop. Lack of effort, the teachers said, wasting talent. I just didn't care. Also during this time girls started having sleepovers and congregating in groups, and talking about boys. I stayed by myself with a book, a comic, TV, or just a daydream. I stopped bothering even to try to talk to anyone at lunch.  
  
Seventh grade showed a sharp drop in my grades but a seeming increase in my social skills. It was the first time I failed a class or had a best friend.  
  
Maryanne was just like me. We knew the same books and shows we liked the same foods. It was her that started calling me Ebony, she, the beautiful blonde was Ivory. We were too good for our normal names.  
  
We would hang out together after school and pretend to be princesses or knights or bandits, or all three at once. Sure it was a little immature, who cared. After a month or two we even started really being bandits; it made it easier to buy comics. My parents thought she was a bad influence, but they let me see her because hey were relived that I was associating with anyone. Not that they knew about the stealing at that point.  
  
But it didn't last, Ivory, my other half was killed by a drunk driver only seven months after we met. I sank into a deep dark pit of depression. For three months I ate practically nothing, did practically nothing and barely spoke a word. I hardly ever left my room except to go to school. It was the middle of eighth grade when I couldn't take it anymore.  
  
It was the middle of math class; I raised my hand and asked to be excused to the bathroom. The teacher nodded.  
  
I trudged grimly to the bathroom carrying my purse. The stall locks were all broken but I managed painstakingly to wedge the door closed.  
  
I sat on the edge of the toilet, opened my purse and took out the gleaming object. I bit my lip and dragged the razorblade across my wrists, whimpering softly and biting back tears.  
  
Something was wrong as I watched the blood flow from the slits in her wrists. There was no promised crimson freedom; the blood that seeped from me was black. I passed out.  
  
I found out later that it was Gina Parry who discovered me in time. I would have hated her for it if it wasn't for the fact that we were already bitter enemies. I wondered why she'd said anything. All she would have had to do was leave without telling anyone and I'd be dead. I wished she had left me.  
  
When I woke in the hospital they told me it was a miracle that the door had swung open so that the girl had seen me sprawled on the floor. Gina hadn't even realized what exactly had happened; not recognizing the blood she'd assumed I'd just passed out. It was a good thing she thought to get the teacher, they said.  
  
They had been running blood tests to see why my blood was black. They couldn't find anything wrong with it. Abnormal pigmentation, they told my parents. Nothing to worry about. They suggested counseling for my depression. My parents agreed.  
  
I put on an act for the counselor and managed to get away with only three sessions and no zombie medication.  
  
Afterward I started wandering the streets after school. I'd tell my parents that I was going to an unspecified friend's house. One rainy afternoon I found myself in the graveyard. It started pouring so I sought shelter in the disused grave keeper's house. This would be a perfect clubhouse I thought upon entering it. But a club has more than one person. This was my lair, Ebony's lair. Ebony of the black blood.  
  
I stepped up my theft rate in order to furnish the place. It went quite well for several weeks until I tried to grab the wallet of an undercover cop. He started chasing me down the street. He had his gun.  
  
I panicked. Please someone! I pleaded with the gods; did you save me before just so I could die at hands of an angry donut muncher?  
  
I slipped in a puddle and fell, I thought it was the shock of the pavement that disoriented me, or maybe I'd been shot. When I opened my eyes and everything was black.  
  
Am I dead? Is this heaven or hell? Or purgatory? It looks familiar. Somehow I recognized where I was. Maybe it was the form of the lamppost maybe it was the silhouette of the cop picking a pile of something up to examine it. Anyhow I realized that somehow I had become a shadow. Now I really was Ebony; I was darkness. The question was, was I stuck like this? How had it happened? Why me? How was I different?  
  
I managed to get to the graveyard. I concentrated. I want to be real again I thought. Give me form. After a moment of hard concentrating I felt a sharp change. I opened my eyes. I was standing in the middle of the graveyard in the darkness, in the nude. But I was in full form again. It was February and freezing. Luckily there was no one around. I went into my Lair where I had a spare set of clothes.  
  
I sat down on the beanbag chair I had brought and set myself to pondering. I wished that Ivory were here. She would have known what was going on.  
  
I thought about all the ways young girls could possibly receive special powers. I hadn't been exposed to any radiation that I knew of, and if I was the reincarnation of an ancient princess it was news to me. After a while of wondering I remembered an article Ivory had shown me the year before in a science magazine. 'Mutants: Science Fact or Science Fiction?' was its title. It was about how supposedly some people were developing strange abilities as they hit adolescence due to a genetic mutation. Things like telekinesis or super strength or rabbit ears. It was supposedly the next step in human evolution. The scientists were all busy trying to classify the phenomena as a hoax like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster.  
  
So I was a mutant. I smiled: the gods had finally answered my prayers. I wasn't just weird anymore. I was special, powerful; I had a good reason to be an outcast.  
  
It was late, I decided it was time that I got back home. So I started walking back under the moonlight all the while pondering my new powers. How long would it take me to control them? Was there anything else I could do?  
  
I returned home to a very unpleasant sight, a cop car in my driveway. I realized that my student ID had been in my jeans pocket. I almost just turned around and left, but instead I took a deep breath and headed inside.  
  
The donut muncher from before was drinking coffee and looking very, very shaken, with my parents who were drinking tea and looking really angry.  
  
I prayed that the cop had felt too foolish to say anything about my disappearing act; after all who would believe that I had simply disappeared leaving my clothes behind?  
  
Thankfully he had acted as I hoped. He claimed that he grabbed my jacket but I'd gotten away. My ID had been in the jacket pocket. I got off with a warning, crying and telling them that someone at school had dared me to. I'd never do it again. Yeah right, I'd just be more careful.  
  
I was grounded for the rest of the school year. That didn't bother me; I was riding high on a power trip. I spent the time in my room with the door locked, practicing until I could change to shadow and back at will. But try as I might I couldn't get past the fact that I couldn't take anything with me, not even my clothes.  
  
I experimented. I discovered that when I was in the shadow realm I could manipulate objects, their shadows at least, without touching them. I wondered if I could do it without being in shadow mode, while not exactly practical it might be nice to creep people out. I lit a candle and held my hand over it, casting a shadow on the ceiling. I looked up at it and willed it to move. It waved, and I hadn't moved my hand. But that didn't solve my attire problem.  
  
I stumbled on the answer by accident. I had forgotten to lock the door: I only barely noticed it opening in time. I returned to the third dimension, but hadn't let go of the bit of shadow I was touching. A strange black liquid splashed on my blanket.  
  
'What are you doing?' my mom asked. I told her I was getting ready for bed. She asked what the liquid was. Spilled my coke, I lied quickly. She nodded telling me to clean it up and left. I locked the door.  
  
I looked at the contained black puddle. Liquid shadow, I thought. If I can manipulate it in its own realm, why not this one? I looked at it. Mentally I formed it into a ball and floated it to me. It felt sticky. What is it? I thought. Beads of sweat formed near my temples from the new concentration. What is it? Can I do anything with it? Shadows all look the same. Maybe.  
  
I glared at it, willing it to solidify. It did, becoming so heavy I could barely lift it. Lighter! I thought urgently, it needs to be lighter! It became so, light as a bubble. I leaned on my bedpost, panting. Feeling the wood on my bare arm must have triggered a subconscious thought. The black ball became a ball of black wood.  
  
That's odd. I thought. Is it just wood? I touched my sheet and commanded it to change. I held a ball of cloth. I grinned returning it to its liquid form. I took hold of it, stretched, and squished it in my hands. I had an idea. I picked up my shirt, thought about every aspect of it projecting the form onto the transitional material of shadow. Now I had a black shirt. The question was; would it travel with me? No reason it shouldn't. I put it on and melted into shadow. I then returned to third, I was still wearing the shirt. Score! I had solve the attire issue and gotten a very useful power in the process. I grinned. I could create stuff. Simple stuff anyway, through trial and error I found that I could only create things made of one or two substances. If I wanted to make, say a TV, I would have to know exactly what made of which went where, and it would be black anyway. Everything I made was black.  
  
Over the summer I managed to keep my powers under wraps. I hung out at the cemetery mostly. My parents commented on the fact that I'd started wearing all black I told them that it was for Ivory. They seemed to accept that. I told the same thing to my teachers and the other students when I started school again in September, only five months ago. I cared even less about my grades now and it showed.  
  
My parents and I had I fight about it when my second report card came in the end of November. You used to be such a wonderful student, they said. What happened? They demanded. At first I didn't say anything. Then they really started yelling.  
  
That girl Maryanne messed you up! They proclaimed. They called her a bad influence and things I won't repeat. Better off dead, they said.  
  
I sort of snapped. She was a better person than they'd ever be, I'd yelled. I went on a rant. I started throwing shadow stones around the room. They were the ones better off dead.  
  
My parents gaped. My mother nearly fainted. My dad grabbed me. They'd heard about mutants. It had been on the news recently.  
  
After a bit more screaming of names my father locked me in my room. He went to call the hospital. I was raging. I wasn't going to take it anymore. I'd had enough of my filthy bigoted parents, I'd had enough of my nasty socialite girls' school, and I'd definitely had enough of psychotic doctors, counselors and anyone else who supposedly knew what was 'wrong' with me. I didn't think twice about it. I turned shadow and slipped under the door and out the house, right past the ambulances and police cars pulling up.  
  
I lived at the graveyard. No one ever knew that was where I stayed; it had been my closest guarded secret, more closely than I'd guarded my powers even. I only came out at night in order to get money for food or slip in an out of a closed mini mart.  
  
After a while I guess my powers showed up on Cerebro because three weeks ago my Lair was invaded by Scott Summers and the 'You Too Can Be A Mutant Drone' gang. I listened to the pitch. I almost didn't go, but I thought it might be cool to meet other mutants, people who would maybe understand me. And hey, I could always leave if I wanted. I realized how much I hated Michigan. I went with them.  
  
***  
  
"And the rest is obvious," Ebony concluded.  
  
"Jeesh, that's rougher than I thought. Can't believe that happened to your best friend yo."  
  
"Tell me about it." She smiled grimly. "I bet Ivory would have been a mutant if she'd lived longer."  
  
"Yeah, she sounds awesome yo. I woulda liked ta meet her. She an' Max woulda probably gotten along real well."  
  
"Who's Max, by the way?"  
  
"Well, do you want me ta tell my story in order or just have a question an answer?"  
  
She smiled. "Begin at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop."  
  
"Sure yo. Once upon a time."  
  
~  
  
Next chapter, Todd's life story, need I say more? Oh wait, REVIEW ME! 


	17. The Long and Twisted Path Part 2

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Todd's past for the purposes of Darwinian Rhapsody. If you don't like it, too bad! As a writer history is mine to command!! Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha!  
  
Disclaimer: .well, I own Ebony and I own Max, but not really anybody else.  
  
Chapter 17.The Long and Twisted Path (part 2)  
  
"Well, do you want me ta tell my story in order or just have a question an answer?"  
  
She smiled. "Begin at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop."  
  
"Sure yo. Once upon a time."  
  
***  
  
.there was a happy couple, name a Thomas an' Linda, got married right outta high school. Real fairytale love story y'know? They moved into an apartment together an a few years later they had a kid. Unfortunately things went downhill from there.  
  
Turns out neither of 'em liked how the other one was turnin' out. Not how they remembered each other from school. She thought he'd change he thought she'd say the same. The same old story. So they did what all modern couples did, cheated on each other for a few years before the yellin' got so bad they practically had to file for divorce in sign language.  
  
They fought each other tooth an' nail for every last stick a furniture an' anything else. Last thing they fought over was the kid, a cute little four- year-old with chubby cheeks. Most couples fight over who gets ta keep the kid, my parents fought over who had to keep me. In the end they took the easy way out, dumpin' me off at the local orphanage. Far as I know it was the last thing they ever agreed on.  
  
It wadn't so bad at first, they treat little kids pretty well in them kinda places, course none a the other kids liked me an' I missed my mom an' dad but I guessed there had ta be worse things. Found out I was right two years later.  
  
At age six I got put in a foster home wit a couple named Peter an' Connie an' their little boy who was about eight years old a the time. Little Robby thought it was a lot a' fun to push around Mommy an' Daddy's new little angel. Course he only did that in school.  
  
On the playground Robby led a band of bullies gettin' an early start on their careers. Their favorite sport was a course 'beat Toad inta the ground.' If any teachers saw we was playin' cops an' robbers an' if I happened ta say otherwise I'd get it worse the next day. Needless to say I had to take it, what was one kindergartner against four or five second graders?  
  
An' I couldn't say anything ta my foster parents cuz ya know Robby was their angel an' I was jus some kid they was raisin' outta the goodness a' their hearts. I was smart enough ta know that if I put a toe outta line it was back to the orphanage.  
  
Even with me on my best behavior it didn't last too long. With Robby around I couldn't really concentrate so my grades was bad an' I told em that I fell down a lot ta cover up for my bruises. I had no friends cuz anybody seen associating with me got it from Robby an' the goon patrol. They came to the conclusion that I was stupid. The final straw was when good ol' Robby came in cryin' an' sayin' I was hittin' him, which was something I woulda only dreamed about. They took me back to the orphanage that same night.  
  
I was eight now an' old enough to realize that I was never gonna have any friends an' might as well stop tryin'. First time I swiped somethin' was ta get back at somebody for a name they'd called me. I picked it up as my new hobby. Stuff started disapearin' an the orphanage people got suspicious. After a long investigation they found the stuff in my possession. They packed me off to the center for Juvenile Delinquents, place for boys who'd done everything from shoplift to break faces to run away from home. They didn't let you out until you were eighteen, unless it was requested by a parent or guardian.  
  
At nine I was a small fry in Juvie: sure there were plenty a' kids my age but I was the short skinny kid who didn't have any parents at all. For the first month and a half I had absolutely no friends yet again and I still got beat up on a daily basis.  
  
They had us bunked five kids to a room; age wasn't a factor just wherever they felt like puttin' you when ya got there. at the time I only had three other kids bunked wit me, two older kids an' a younger. The two bigger ones a course made me their favorite sport.  
  
'Bout two months since I'd gotten there I was comin' back ta the bunk after eatin' my lunch an' getting' outta the mess hall before my tormenters started throwin' food at me.  
  
I met a surprise when I entered; some kid was sittin' on the extra bed, the one the older kids claimed for themselves. He was kinda stringy but taller than I was. He had black hair an' looked Hispanic or Italian or somethin'.  
  
"You can't sit there!" I told him.  
  
"Oh, sorry, is this bed yours?" he made to move.  
  
"No, but Eric doesn't let anybody else on the extra cot."  
  
"Ain't extra no more yo. Looks like me an' you are roommates." The boy grinned. "Name's Maximilian Leon. Call me Max. Who're you?"  
  
"Um, I'm Todd, Todd Tolensky," an really surprised you're speakin' to me, I thought.  
  
"How'd you wind up in a place like this?"  
  
"Stealin' stuff."  
  
"Ah, a not so artful Dodger, shame, shame." He grinned. "I ran away and joined the circus, but my parents caught me."  
  
Y'know, I found out later that he never really joined the circus. I had thought he was awful young for that sorta thing, but Max never acted his age. Older or younger, but never his age. What he was really I for was his parents couldn't handle his rambunctious nature and chronic lying.  
  
"Really? That's cool!" I said. "What did you do at the circus?"  
  
"Oh lotsa stuff. I learned to tame lions and I can ride an elephant. I can juggle and I can do all sorts of acrobatics." He grinned proudly.  
  
"Cool. Can you show me?"  
  
"Sure." He took a few colored balls from his backpack and began to juggle them expertly. I wonder where he really learned it.  
  
Then the other boys returned from lunch. "Hey snot nose, who's that you're talking to?" he turned to Max, "You can't sit there fag, that's my bed."  
  
"Nope. S'mine now. You must be Eric."  
  
"Yeah, who're you?" Eric leered. "And what are you doing?"  
  
"Max Leon, I'm juggling, think fast." He tossed the balls in quick succession so that each one hit the bully over the head before he had time to react.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Warned you, guess you don't think fast enough."  
  
It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. With Max around I didn't get beaten up much anymore. We became prank terrors; boys would go running at the call of 'Look out man, its Leon and Tolensky!' Of course it was Max who called the shots but I was more than happy to follow his lead. He told me about himself, that he was eleven and about the circus, and taught me a few things that he had 'learned there'.  
  
I felt embarrassed at having such a boring life compared to his, so I told him that my Dad was on America's Most Wanted list for killing my mom and a bunch of other people. I told him I'd barely escaped with my life. By a year later both knew that the other's story wasn't true, but we didn't care and kept them up anyway.  
  
It went on happily for four years. The administration even gave us our own bunk after a while, since everybody was complainin'. Then I hit thirteen.  
  
I woke up with a groan of protest. Max looked over.  
  
"You sick Todd m'man? Ya look a little green yo."  
  
"I don' feel so great neither."  
  
He walked over. "No fever man, ya feel pretty cool actually. Stick out your tongue yo."  
  
I attempted to. Then it happened for the first time. My tongue musta shot like six feet outta my mouth. Scared the hell outta me.  
  
Max stared. "How did you?"  
  
I'll admit my eyes musta been as big as saucers. "I, I donno, yo. Just happened."  
  
"Do it again."  
  
I shook my head, clasping my hands over my mouth. Then I noticed my hands; my fingers had become webbed. I whimpered. "What's happened to me?"  
  
"I donno but its cool."  
  
"Cool? I'm some kinda freak." I pulled the pillow over my head. "Don' look at me."  
  
He sat on the edge of my bed. He poked me in the side. "C'mon man, it ain't that bad, s'kinda cool."  
  
"Easy for you too say, you ain't the freak." I moved to get up and found that I leapt easily like six feet into the air without even tryin' an' landed in my trademark pose for the first time.  
  
"Now, that, right there, that was cool," I admitted.  
  
"Wow; that was like six feet."  
  
"That was nothin' I bet I could jump way higher."  
  
Max looked around. "No room in here, let's go outside for a minute."  
  
Max chased everyone out of the courtyard and I leapt as high as I could. Turned out to be at least twenty feet straight up.  
  
"See? I told you it was cool," Max assured me.  
  
"Yeah, but I still look like a freak." I sat down on the ground an looked at my hand. "Like some kinda frog guy or sumthin'."  
  
"Nah, a Toad, get it? Todd, Toad?"  
  
"Funny." A fly buzzed around my head, my body reacted before my mind did. My tongue darted from my mouth an' caught it; I swallowed. My senses told me it tasted fine and that there was nothing wrong. But my mind recoiled. I'm ashamed ta say it but I broke down cryin' right there.  
  
"C'mon Todd m'man, don't do this to me. So you ate a bug. National Geographic says they eat bugs all the time in India. Things could be worse."  
  
"How?" I sobbed.  
  
He thought a moment; "You could be locked in a deep dark cave with no one to talk to but yourself slowly being driven mad by an unknown force."  
  
"An' who says I ain't, metaphorically speaking?"  
  
"I do, because I'm here an you can talk to me." he adopted the manner of a cliché psychiatrist, stroking his chin and saying, " Zo, tell me vhat iz wrong, yes?"  
  
"I look like the thing from the black lagoon, that's what."  
  
" No, no, no. Ze thing from ze black Lagoon vas covered in seaweed."  
  
"How come I'm turnin' inta somethin' weird an' you ain't?"  
  
"I sink ze problem may be psychological, let us begin. Tell me, do you ever think about girls?"  
  
I looked at him like he's lost his mind. "What's that got to do with it?"  
  
"Humor me."  
  
".not, really." Keep in mind I hadn't even seen a girl since I was eight.  
  
"Vhat about boys, hmmm?"  
  
"No!!!" I turned bright red.  
  
He nodded. "Your reaction iz normal. Perhaps ze problem lies with your mother."  
  
"This is dumb yo. I'm turning into a human Toad and you're askin' me all kinds of weird questions."  
  
Max shook his head and dropped the fake accent. "Maybe you're really from another planet, like superman or somethin'. He didn't develop his powers until he was about your age."  
  
"Maybe." I sighed. "Everybody's gonna laugh at me."  
  
"So? It didn't bother you before, why now?" he punched me in the shoulder. "C'mon man, let's get back inside. Did I mention you need a shower?"  
  
Things continued as normally as could be expected for about a year, yeah I got laughed at even more but whatever. Then about a year ago I got an unexpected visit. They told me my father was here to see me.  
  
I was amazed, my father, who I hadn't seen in ten years, was here to talk to me? I went into a closed room with him.  
  
Almost needless to say it wasn't my dad. It was Mystique. After my initial shock she explained that I was a mutant, and that there were others with special gifts like mine. She said she'd get me out of here so that I could help mutants take their rightful place in the world. She promised fame, money, power, all that and a bag of chips. Stupidly I ate it up. I agreed to go with her and meet her Lord Magneto. One of the stupider decisions I've made in my life.  
  
I went back to my room to get my stuff. I told Max everything she'd said.  
  
"So you're leavin' then?"  
  
"I guess so. I mean, I don' wanna leave you here by yourself or nothin'"  
  
He shook his head. "Ya gotta follow your destiny Todd m'man. I'll be outta here in just two years. Tell me where you're goin' an I'll look you up when I get out."  
  
"She said we were goin' ta Bayville. But aren't ya gonna join the circus when ya get out?" I grinned at the old joke lifting the backpack which held all my worldly possessions.  
  
He grinned back. "Nah, I'm thinkin' about joinin' a rock group instead, backup singer first but maybe I can make lead vocalist."  
  
That was another thing about Max, he loved singin' an as far as I could tell he had a great voice. "Well, see ya then Max." I turned to go.  
  
"Hold on a sec Toady." I turned around. "Ya thinkin' about girls yet?"  
  
I shrugged and he tossed me something, two somethings in fact.  
  
Two black spiked wrist cuffs that he'd worn the entire time I'd know him. "I can't take these, Max, they're yours."  
  
"Don't go getting any ideas, I'll want 'em back next time I see ya." He waved. "Now get outta here while I'll still let ya."  
  
***  
  
"And ya pretty much know the rest," Todd concluded.  
  
"So that's why you wear them all the time, I kinda wondered. You were right, Max and Ivory probably would have gotten along pretty well." Ebony smiled wistfully. "I can't believe neither of your parents wanted you, I mean at four? That's awful."  
  
"Eh, I'd a probably turned out all wrong anyway, parents aren't my style yo."  
  
"So has Max gotten out of Juvie yet? He said he'd come see you right?"  
  
"Not yet, he's eighteen this year but his birthday ain't till April."  
  
"I wanna meet him, he sounds funny. It's too bad he's not a mutant."  
  
Todd shrugged. "Ya never know, sometimes powers manifest late. Anything on TV yet?"  
  
"Not unless you want to watch Spanish soap operas." She looked at him and a Cheshire smile graced her lips. "Hey Todd, ever think about girls?"  
  
He pounced on her. "Jus' you."  
  
~  
  
Well, there it is folks, Todd's back-story. What do ya think? What about Max? Heh, he'll show up eventually in the actual story but not for a while yet. Next chapter a few days later. There's another new kid in school, three new kids in fact. Who are they? Why are they making friends with the X-Men? Think about the plot thread. I'll tell you their names ahead of time. Gabriel, Hunter and Arachne. 


	18. By the Pricking of My Thumbs

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: REVIEWS! Mwahaha! HA! Mwa I say!  
  
Queenducky: Yeah, I needed an outlet for the Olde Englishe bug I had been bitten by. Straws don't damage your lungs.unless you light them.  
  
Wizardess: It was sweet, wasn't it? If a little OoC. Glad somebody got the dream, as to the fox's identity? 'I was contemplating becoming a rose. there was no one to talk to, but now you're here.' See after reviews for full explanation. I like being clever, it helps me feel less like I'm in a box.  
  
Red Witch: Not quite repressed memories, more like symbolism. Analyze analyze analyze is what I always say. Look for the deeper meaning. Like the Jane Eyre tree, only less so. Unfortunately Ebony's mom is going to be around a while longer.  
  
Todd Fan: Yeah, poor Ebs. Glad you were able to appreciate my take on the Toddster's past. I'm still trying to figure out if his or Ebony's is more tragic.  
  
VirgoMoon: Rogue is my favorite character too. Well, my favorite female character, but my favorite female character in anything, not just X-Men. I usually identify more with male side characters for some odd reason.  
  
Akasha: Thanks, I feel lots better, I hope you do too! ^.^  
  
Hids: Remy and Rogue are my favorite couple in the multiverse, unfortunately they aren't the main plot in this. They are a frequent sub plot though. You started to tear up? Sorry.Don't insult cows! Ebony's mom I wouldn't even compare to a pig! Yes it is Kurt's own fault he's not with Ebony, he may feel worse about that after a few more things happen too.Did I turn you into a Todd fan? Go me! Thanks, I'm sure I have a scrap of talent around here somewhere.  
  
Jeremiah bullfrog: I like olde englishe. Methinks yon world must needs speak in it's courtly tongue. You're the second person I've brought to tears in two chapters, maybe I should start including a box of Kleenex with every post.  
  
Okay, some of you have been asking about the dream. I will explain it, but only the parts that I felt should be obvious. The mysterious parts must stay a mystery unless you puzzle them out. Todd trapped in the shrinking box is a metaphor for the way he feels about life. The fox showed him the way out of the box that he couldn't see himself. The field of flowers represents the world at large with the roses being the X-peeps specifically. The fox was considering becoming a rose until it met Todd. It agrees to try to lead him but doesn't make any guarantees. The forest is the other side of life with the rodents as the brotherhood, Magneto being the rat. He has to bite them to get them to do what he wants, causing them bitterness. Todd wants to leave bitterness and anger behind but something is stopping him which almost gets the fox killed.  
  
And that's all I'll tell you, put your brain to some good use during math class and puzzle the rest out. In this chapter three new students arrive, who are they and why does one seem familiar?  
  
Disclaimer: I own four characters in this chapter, the main character Ebony, and the three new characters, Gabriel, Hunter and Arachne. That's it. All teachers belong to themselves; all other characters belong to Marvel.  
  
Chapter 18.By the Pricking of my Thumbs.  
  
When Ebony walked into the Cafeteria for her first period study hall on Thursday she saw someone new was sitting at her table. Someone new and startlingly familiar. The girl was tall and slender with no chest to speak of. She had a fair complexion and silver blonde hair cropped boy style around her face. She wore a ruffled white shirt and pale blue jeans.  
  
"I-Ivory?" Ebony stuttered before she could stop herself.  
  
The girl looked up. "I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else." Her voice was quiet and gentle. She smiled. "My name's Arachne, I'm new here."  
  
She nodded silently; of course it wasn't her best friend Ivory. She had been dead for two years now. Ebony felt the blood burn in her cheeks, how could she have thought? But she looks just like . She bit her lip to hold her emotions in check.  
  
"Am I at your table? I'll move if you like." Her tone was sedate  
  
She shook her head. "No, that's alright. I'm Eb-, my name's Kimberly. Sorry, you just, look a lot like someone I knew." Too much like her. But the way you're looking at me is just the opposite.  
  
"Really?" Arachne brushed the near colorless hair from her face, revealing gray eyes and a thin scar running across her left cheekbone. Her eyes are so cold, Ebony thought. Like steel. And where did she get that scar?  
  
She nodded. "Where are you from?"  
  
"Maine, my brothers and I just started school here today." There was something strange in the way she spoke, like she was talking about someone else.  
  
"You have brothers?"  
  
She giggled, despite it's soft, airy nature there was something sorrowful in the hearing of it. "Unfortunately. Gabriel is a sophomore and Hunter is a senior."  
  
"Why did you move down here?"  
  
"Our father's business."  
  
"What's he do?"  
  
She shrugged gracefully. "Give me an allowance on Saturdays. Is everyone here as strange as some of the people I've seen this morning?"  
  
"Um, well that depends on the people you've seen. I won't make excuses for the football team." She can't be Ivory. Her physical features are remarkably similar, but every glance, every motion betrays that she is not Maryanne Valentine back from the dead!  
  
She laughed demurely. "They don't seem like they do everywhere. I have seen people do.strange things."  
  
" Hmm, well. Strange is hard to define, is there anything about you that you might consider strange?" Ebony watched her face for telltale signs of mutantcy.  
  
"Well, I don't know if I should tell you this.."  
  
"You can trust me." she smiled.  
  
"It's kinda weird but," Arachne whispered in a conspiratorial manner. "My toes are double jointed."  
E bony laughed. "That's not weird, that's normal! Now see; weird is the guy who has this eye condition so that he has to wear sunglasses all the time. Or weird is the kid with ADD so bad you'll never see him quite stop moving. That's weird." She congratulated herself for managing to talk about oddities without directly mentioning mutanthood. "So, who's your math teacher?" She realized she didn't want to talk about anything personal with this girl.  
  
She dug trough a schedule. "Um, Mrs. S. Is she nice?"  
  
"Do you make a habit of doing your homework?"  
  
"Usually?"  
  
Ebony bit her lip. "Then yes, I suppose she's a very nice person." She looked at the other girl. "Excuse me, I need to go take care of something." She scooped her things up and exited the cafeteria. She couldn't take it anymore, staring at her eyes. She had told Todd about her past and now her mind was haunted by it. Get over it Ebony. She is dead.  
  
Looking back he saw Arachne's eyes follow her and felt a chill go up her spine.  
  
***  
  
Todd was siting out of gym today. He had a 'sprained ankle' and a 'note' from his 'doctor'. He sat on the bleachers while the rest of the ninth and tenth graders in his class ran laps.  
  
"Excuse me," someone asked from behind him, "This is Mr. L's gym class, isn't it?"  
  
He turned. The boy was lanky with golden hair cropped around his ears and haunting violet eyes. He wore a pair of stonewashed blue jeans and a long sleeve gray shirt. "Yeah, that's him over there." Todd jerked his thumb toward the man.  
  
"Ah, thank you."  
  
He watched the strange boy run easily to where Mr. L was standing. They conversed for a moment. Todd watched him with mild amusement. Bayville must get more transfers in a month than most places do in a year, he thought. Wonder who wonder-boy is?  
  
The boy jogged back over. "He wants me to observe for today. Do you mind if I sit here?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
The blonde sat down. "My name is Gabriel Archer, who are you?"  
  
"Todd," he replied flatly.  
  
"Do you know anyone else in this class?"  
  
Another shrug.  
  
"Not the social type I see."  
  
"Why don't you go bother that guy? He likes to talk." Todd pointed him to Pietro who was at the head of the joggers, jogging easily backwards.  
  
Gabriel looked him over a moment. "Yes, he'll do." The boy jumped from the bleachers and ran over to the speedy mutant.  
  
Todd's yellow eyes followed him, chin in his hand. There is something weird about that guy, he thought. Not normal weird, bad vibe weird. Are eyes supposed to look like that?  
  
***  
  
Ebony sat with Todd and the rest of the Brotherhood during lunch, as had become a habit. The topic of discussion today was the new Transfers.  
  
"I met this really weird girl this morning in free. Arachne, she has this white blonde hair and something about the way she talks really give me the creeps."  
Todd nodded towards the X-table. "You mean the one sittin' with the X- geeks and the creep I met in gym. Name a' Gabriel Archer."  
  
"It must be one of her brother. She said she had two. The guy in black must be Hunter." He was seated next to Scott, had long black hair to the middle of his back, and wore no colors but that.  
  
"Wonder why they're sittin' over there? What was he on about in gym anyways Piet?"  
  
Pietro shrugged. "Kept asking me to give him my opinion on everybody."  
  
"Of course you happily obliged him."  
  
"What can I say? I'm just such a people person."  
  
"Right."  
  
"No, I'm serious guys, she really freaked me out," Ebony said. "Do you think they're mutants?"  
  
"Donno," Todd said, "But now that you mention it that guy did gimme a real bad vibe yo. Anybody know about Mr. Dark and Broody?"  
  
"I think he's a senior. But beyond that I haven't seen him," Lance put in. "Wonder how they managed to get seats by the Super Friends?"  
  
"Hunter seems pretty cozy with Scott," Pietro observed.  
  
"Y'know, Arachne was asking me if I knew anyone who did anything weird. Do you think she saw someone using their powers?"  
  
"Could be Fuzzball's face gizmo on the fritz again."  
  
Ebony nodded.  
  
Conversation drifted as they got into a discussion about which cafeteria 'foods' tasted like which brands of rat poison. They finally agreed that Pietro, being the only one who had ever actually tasted rat poison got the final say. He decided they all tasted the same.  
  
At the end of lunch Ebony walked quietly through the hall behind Todd.  
  
"Sumpin' wrong Eb?"  
  
"It's stupid."  
  
"It ain't stupid if it's managin' ta bother you."  
  
She sighed. "It's that girl. Arachne. I don't know if it's my imagination or.but, she looks exactly like Ivory. Exactly. Except for the scar under her eye."  
  
"They say everybody had a twin yo."  
  
She bit her lip. "Yeah." Her midnight eyes clouded sadly.  
  
He poked her gently in the side. "Man, how am I supposed to cheer you up?"  
  
"I don't need cheering up I." her tone was so melancholy it hurt.  
  
He gave her a dubious look. "That's it. I'm taking you out somewhere after school. Me an' Rogue are the only people in this school allowed to look that depressed. Where d'ya wanna go?"  
  
"I donno. You don't need to-"  
  
He put up a 'hush' finger. "Shh. Sh. Zip it." He thought a moment. " I'm taking you ice-skating."  
  
"But, but I don't ice-skate."  
  
"So? Me neither. We can fall down and laugh at each other."  
  
"I don't know.."  
  
"Please?" he made big cute froggy eyes at her.  
  
She sighed and smiled. "Oh all right. But it's your fault if I break my butt bone from falling down too many times."  
  
***  
  
School dragged on forever. Classes were torture for Ebony, it turned out Arachne was in half of them. She tried to ignore her.  
  
After classes finally ended and Todd led her down the street to the park. Ebony was quiet. He made a few attempts at conversation by they were shot down with one word answers.  
  
"C'mon Eb'ny. Can't you try to be just a little bit happier?"  
  
"Do you want me to fake it?"  
  
"No. But I will manage to cheer you up, even if it means I have to, to hug Summers."  
  
That got a giggle out of her. She smiled. "And they think I'm nuts for liking you." She hugged him. "Well, if we're going to get those skates we'd better do it now."  
  
They rented skates from the rink guy and had at it. Sorry to say but neither of them turned out to be much good at it. Ebony could barely stand up on the skates and kept a tight grip on Todd, who was fine until he tried to start moving. After a few minutes of slipping and sliding they finally managed to coast a little on the ice without falling down, mostly by clinging to each other for dear life.  
  
Then Ebony got Confident. She let go of Todd and tried to move on her own. For a moment it looked like she was going to manage a straight line. "Hey, I can do this I can-" Physics perverted. Somehow she accomplished turning a straight line into a wobbly one-eighty and headed full speed back at Todd. "Help!" she squeaked.  
  
He tried to run to catch her failing miserably on the ice and barreling unsteadily towards her. For a moment it looked like they were going to go right past each other. But Ebony reached out her hands and grabbed his. The result was that they started spinning dangerously across the ice, faster and faster as other people hurried to get out of their way. It was dizzying and for a moment, romantic. Ebony looked into Todd's eyes and he looked into hers, just as they ran out of ice and straight in to a large snow bank, him falling on top of her.  
  
"Oof!! Ah! Cold!!" they hastily dug themselves out of the snow.  
  
They looked at each other's snow-covered faces, hair and clothes. They began to laugh merrily.  
  
Ebony grinned. "That was fun! Let's do it again!" she giggled.  
  
Todd rubbed his head. "They oughta find a way to turn that inta an extreme sport yo. C'mere, ya got some snow on yer face." He licked it off.  
  
It tickled. She giggled and wiped a little greenish slime off her cheek. Then she pounced on him and kissed him.  
  
"We better get outta the snow before we both catch 'P'neumonia." Todd said.  
  
She nodded happily and he helped her up.  
  
"Y'want some hot cocoa?"  
  
She nodded more emphatically.  
  
They sat at a table drinking hot cocoa from the vendor. Ebony ate her marshmallow first.  
  
"'S pretty good," Todd said, trying his.  
  
She nodded. "Oh, look, it's starting to snow! C'mon, let's see who can catch more."  
  
They stood in the park, trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Todd cheated.  
  
"That's not fair." Ebony pouted cheerfully; "Of course you're going to catch more if you can cover a six foot area!"  
  
He shrugged. "You didn't say there were any rules."  
  
She hugged him. "Hey Todd, thanks for cheering me up."  
  
"No prob." He ran a hand through her hair, "Thanks for cheering up."  
  
"Todd?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Would you really have hugged Scott?"  
  
~  
  
La!! I had to put that in there to balance out the angst. I thought it was cute. But what do you think? Todd finds out more on the Archer family next chapter in '.Something Wicked This Way Comes.'  
  
Live long and prosper _\\// Live poor, die young _\ || / 


	19. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: By the grace of the heavens I have... Retuuuuuurned!!  
  
Unfortunately now that Gambit has returned I have a slight problem.gods my heart nearly melted when I saw him. Too bad he didn't get to say anything. I can't wait to hear his voice. They'd better have gotten him a decent voice actor or I'll be pissed. And what does Marvel think it's doing, stealing my plot line? Ah well, you guys know I had it first.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own Ebony. Not to mention the plot line!  
  
Chapter 19.Something Wicked This Way Comes  
  
Ebony slept fitfully that night, her mind more full of emotion than the night Ivory had died. There were no images to this nightmare, only feeling. Sadness, rage, regret and bitterness each collided into one another, as even in sleep she still could not escape the wounds in her soul.  
  
As the storm in her unconscious came to a head she awoke, unable to bear the painful tide any longer. She woke silently, though it would have been rightful for her to have screamed. But she made no sound, nor any motion save the reflexive opening of her eyes. All around her room was cloaked in post midnight shadow, dark curtains blocking out whatever moonlight there might have been. A normal person might not have registered the fact that his eyes were open, but Ebony, she could see quite well, even to the point of being able to glare painfully at her reflection in the mirror across the room.  
  
She looked into her own eyes, the white which framed blue/black pupils the only bleached tone in the chamber. Silently she reviewed her emotion. The pain of loss, a familiar ache in the back of her heart; rage that this Arachne could dare to attire herself in the form of her dead best friend. Regret that she had ever left her solitary graveyard and bitterness. More bitterness than anything else. Since Ivory had died, it seemed now in the dark of night, that little in her life had been worth while. Even her mutantcy, what good was the power, the grace of a shadow, what good was anything if there was no one who understood?  
  
Ebony knew that it was true what they said, that you couldn't miss something that you'd never had. Before Ivory, Ebony had never known real friendship and so had never missed it. But the universe had seen fit to, for a short time deliver understanding to her and had seen equally fit to take it away. Not only that but it saw fit to mock her. But she would not give satisfaction to whatever power it was that had chosen her sorrow as its amusement. Ebony would not play its game.  
  
With an act of will she struggled to purge the anger from her system and watched in the mirror as her eyes drained of the cold fire she had let burn there for a moment. It would see that she was not to be toyed with. She would be happy in spite of all her loss, she would be happy literally in order to show her spite to it.  
  
For a moment she gloried in arrogance, using it to buoy her spirits. She even smiled to herself smug with the knowledge that she was herself. That she was Ebony the spinner of shadows and that no one could take that from her. She was here in New York and she was not being forced to live with pitiful humans, whom she indeed did pity. She was a part of the X-Men, people, mutants who even if they could not understand her could appreciate her.  
  
And for the first time since she had fallen to sleep she remembered that there already was someone who more than appreciated her and perhaps in time they could even come to understand one another.  
  
Ebony fell again into slumber but this time no phantom nightmares plagued her. This time she slept peacefully, happily even, secure in the knowledge that she was Ebony spinner of shadows and no one could take that from her.  
  
***  
  
In a room down the hall another vagrant mutant slept dreaming dreams that were slightly less turbulent, and much more visually extravagant than the nightmares of his sweetheart down the hall. None the less they were quite as profound.  
  
He stood on the edge of a great cliff. He knew that he had run many miles following in the wake of thousands of terrible ravens' wing-beats until reaching here where seemingly he could follow them no further. This murder of blackbirds which he stared up at into a darkly clouded sky had swooped down and stolen his companion. Even now they carried the strange fox who had rescued him to who-knew-where, to a fate of who-knew-what. He didn't know anything about the fox but that was trivial. What was important he knew; if he could not rescue her she was dead. He would save her life or he would forfeit his own in the attempt.  
  
He stood proud and dared the sky to defy him. He took in the beauty of the inky sky above him, where lightning now streaked in blue and ravens and a fox grew further away by the moment. He saw the grace of the deep green jungle far far far below him where serpents and dark creatures waited and with a cry that challenged them all.  
  
He followed the ravens off into the sky. He didn't fly, he leapt and as he came down he leapt again right off of the insubstantial air. He moved so quickly that gravity and all of the other forces had no time to register the fact that he was breaking the laws which they imposed. There was nothing they could have done even if they had known. He was beyond the restraints of mere reality as only a creature who believed in his mission could be.  
  
So he followed their mercenary flight not gaining but nor was he losing ground. Finally after what felt like an instant and an eternity the ravens descended onto a great mesa of gray stone and he followed as quickly as he could. From afar he could see the ravens surround the fox and by the time he reached the megalith formation, peppered with thousands more blackbirds than four and twenty, it was done.  
  
As he landed the ravens flew away leaving only one thing on the shelf of stone; a tiny huddled black figure shivering from the cold gusts that crisscrossed the long plain of granite. He saw it and he despaired, he knew that his fox was a fox no more. In the proud creature's stead was only a hurt and uncertain girl; a girl exactly like every other girl he had ever seen and never given a second thought.  
  
She looked up at him. Her eyes were the blue color of a sky that had never known pollution. They looked unnatural on her. She spoke to him.  
  
"I should have be grateful if I had been killed as who I was. But I don't want to die a human."  
  
***  
  
Todd thought Ebony was oddly quiet that morning, although she certainly didn't seem unhappy. He hoped he'd managed to cheer her up with the ice- skating the previous evening, he'd certainly gotten enough bruises in return. They rode to school with Lance and the guys again, Ebony casting a quick glance at Remy before smiling and agreeing. School was abysmally normal as the day dragged on. Todd apathetically took notes as he stared at whatever corner of the room was in front of him. To his teachers it looked as though he might actually be paying attention, but really he was preoccupied with the continuation of his strange dream.  
  
He replayed it in his mind trying to recall every detail but the more he concentrated on it the more it fled him. Todd was frustrated. He didn't usually have dreams at all let alone ones as whacko as this. It gave him the feeling that it was important, that he was missing something vitally important, and if he could only figure it out.He'd heard stories about people who had dreams. He'd heard of a woman who was going to go on vacation but she'd had this dream that something bad happened to it and it scared her so bad she didn't go. The flight she was supposed to have taken crashed with no survivors. Todd thought he knew how she must have felt.  
  
So, the dream. What were the details? A cliff, a bazillion ravens, a fox, a cliff. He knew that something happened to the fox at the end of the dream but for all he tried he couldn't remember what; he could only remember that it was bad. Maybe if he related it to the first part? Roses, rats, quicksand, the fox and the ravens. Every time he thought about it everything came down to him, the fox and the ravens. But god damn it, why? What did it mean?!  
  
He pounded his fist on the desk in frustration. The teacher turned to face him.  
  
"Is there a problem Mr. Tolensky? I know the problem is a bit difficult but- "  
  
He cut her off, glancing quickly at the problem on the blackboard. "Nah s'not. X= 1/3 an' y= 2." He answered the quadratic equation presented. "Yo, m' I right?"  
  
The teacher blinked at him and continued the lesson without bothering him again.  
  
***  
  
Todd had study hall right at the end of the day and he wondered what he was going to do with the near hour that belonged to him. He really didn't feel like brooding over the dream for any longer. Briefly he considered doing his French homework but came quickly to the decision that he shouldn't waste his time. He had settled down with a comic filched from some locker when he saw the new blonde guy, (Gabriel, was his name?) go past. He was walking with a sense of purpose that was odd to see in school especially when you weren't trying not to be late for a class. Of course, it could be that he just really had to pee.  
  
He decided that following the mysterious newbie would probably be more interesting than 'Supergirl' number who gives a damn. When Gabriel was sufficiently far past, but not out of Todd's sight, he got up and quietly and unobtrusively followed many paces behind. The lithe boy walked swiftly but unhurriedly with a measured pace that was odd for someone who wasn't in the military. It was much too ordered, too perfectly same for a normal person. Gabriel didn't stop until he'd come to an empty corner of hallway; empty that was except for a tall and muscular, black-clad senior, reportedly his older brother.  
  
Todd watched; his lean form concealed behind the edge of the end of a row of lockers. He watched the two speak to one another and strained to hear what they were saying.  
  
The older boy, Hunter spoke first. "Have you made any progress?"  
  
"Some. The blonde mutant is beginning to acknowledge me, but the youngest is distrustful and the others seem preoccupied."  
  
Todd held his breath. They knew about mutants; were they mutants? Who were they talking about? Him and the Brotherhood?  
  
Hunter nodded. "I am making more headway with the other group. They are much more trusting." He seemed smug about this.  
  
He must mean the X-geeks, Todd thought, what the hell are these guys up to?  
  
"Here comes Arachne."  
  
As they waited for their younger sister in perfect silence and perfectly still Todd realized something. They had no accents of any kind, theirs was bland, formulaic English and they had no mannerisms of any kind. Talking to each other they had no inflection at all, no emotion in their voices. The way they moved, Todd knew he'd seen it somewhere before, but where?  
  
Arachne approached, they nodded in acknowledgement. Normal people would have asked why she was late; they obviously weren't normal.  
  
"How do you progress?"  
  
"The one girl is wary of me for some reason, the others seem more reachable. Our orders remain consistent?"  
  
Hunter nodded. "Collect data and when optimal conditions are reached collect a mutant for further study as per our master's request. If no opportunity presents itself within a reasonable amount of time-"  
  
"Make one," Gabriel interjected.  
  
Toad stood frozen. He was sure that they would be able to hear his heart beat. He needed to get out of here and warn Lance or somebody, and Ebony. Whoever they were they were definitely hostile. But who? Who would want to forcibly study mutants?  
  
"Only one mutant is needed for His research. Therefore if necessity demands, hostile mutants may be terminated."  
  
Then it clicked. Hostile mutants.terminated. No mannerisms, perfect order, just like the so-called police at the Gut Bomb. These were Sentinels. Toad would have cried out in panic if he didn't know that it would be the end of him. People called him a coward but no sensible person puts himself in danger without a good reason. He'd sneak off quietly. He made sure that the three, things, were occupied with themselves and snuck off as stealthily as was possible. He spent the remainder of his study period huddled twitchily outside the door of Lance's math class.  
  
Back in the hallway the meeting concluded. Each of the three went their separate ways. Everything was normal; plans were going if not perfectly then quite close to it. Only one of the three of them had noticed their uninvited guest and Gabriel wasn't going to mention it unless someone asked directly. Not until it suited him.  
  
***  
  
At the Institute Xavier brooded in his study. Yes the vaunted Professor X was brooding, and it was over seemingly nothing more than a bad vibe.  
  
Hank McCoy knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Why hello Charles. I just came to see if you might like some coffee."  
  
He sighed. "Actually that might be helpful."  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked cocking his head concernedly.  
  
"It's nothing really Hank. It's only.well for the past few days I've been getting this feeling some psychic power is being used. Only it's really quite subtle and I can not pinpoint the origin. Cerebro isn't picking up any new mutant signatures and well, frankly the feeling is quite unnerving. Rather like the feeling you get when you know someone's watching you but you can't see anyone."  
  
The Beast nodded and smiled. "Maybe that palm reader who just opened up downtown actually has a little bit of talent. You said it was weak, right?"  
  
"I think so, but I can't be sure that it isn't a very powerful psychic halfway around the world, or if someone is somehow shielding their power."  
  
"Well, maybe the coffee will help."  
  
"I'd like to think so."  
  
***  
  
"You're sure that's what you heard Toad?" Lance demanded.  
  
He nodded. "I ain't deaf, and you saw 'em before. They act human?"  
  
He shook his head. "This is great. Can't even go to school in peace. We should wait until we get back to the mansion before telling anyone else, I don't want any of them to overhear."  
  
"So what're we going to do Lance?"  
  
"I just told you. Tell everybody, X-geeks and the Professor included. Especially the professor got a problem?"  
  
Todd shook his head. Yeah he did. With his luck the Prof would probably use him as bait to lure them out or something. He was sure the guy had a grudge against him.  
  
"You mind if I tell Ebony?"  
  
"I said wait until we get back. I don't want anyone panicking."  
  
Todd nodded. He had panicked, so it was possible that Ebs might. But he'd go make sure she was okay.  
  
~  
  
Well, there it is the shocking revelation. Actually I'll be surprised if a few of you hadn't guessed that already. But what you won't guess is the next curve ball I'll be throwing at you!  
  
Hope you enjoyed my return to Darwinian Rhapsody. Incidentally I did manage to convince my mom that tenth grade wasn't important for a great writer, but I'm gonna pass anyways. Please review, I'd appreciate your thoughts on Todd's dream. And what do you think's giving Xavier a headache? Is it Miss Cleo? John Edwards? The stress of living with fifty teenagers? Or something far more sinister? (What could be more sinister than those three options though?)  
  
Please read the X-Men haikus I just posted too! 


	20. Curse of the Killer Zombie Mutant Cyborg

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Now I am going to catch up on reviews. It'll be kinda long so skip it if you don't care.  
  
Todd Fan: An episode starring Toddy would be the best thing possible, well, except for maybe an episode where Rogue finally learns to control her powers. I'm proud of Todd's backstory; I labored long and hard on it. What do you think of Max? I learned the fact that I couldn't ice-skate the hard way too! I have returned and all shall tremble in my wake!! Mwahahaha! Mwahahahahaha...Ahaha.Ha.Ehem.'scuse me. Tell me about your dream. Yes Toddy's is tres bizarre, and it's only going to get weirder. He'd like to be eating strange bugs but unfortunately it's the end of January, too cold for bugs.  
  
Spooky: If Ebony was so perfect I wanted to smack her I'd never get any writing done, would I? What's the use of a character with no problems, and can take care of herself? I wanna be rescued dammit! Well, now the show has Gambit too, and hopefully they didn't ruin our fav Cajun, non?  
  
Red Witch: Sorry about the delay, ye gods. You can do more than sit and wait for me, you can write a 'Ronin Toad' sequel!  
  
Queenducky: Todd exists in Bunnyville too! *little hearts* Two of my good friends are pyros too! Gee, I notice a pattern here. I didn't think it was confusing either but flatscans can be so dumb.  
  
Post: Hope you've read more by now! And I hope you like how it's turnin' out. Of course Todd's intelligent. *sniff* poor Froggy boy, always getting' underestimated. But sometimes that can be an asset. As for Ebony being that size, well, originally in my mind she was 5'3, but she shrank! She was also originally paired with Kurt and you can see what happened to that!  
  
Jean1: I'm glad you think my fic is different. I hate being the same as anyone. Unfortunately the series seems to be stealing my plot! Glad you think I've got everyone in character. It seems with my Pietro you either think I'm doing a great job or a terrible one!  
  
4Rogue: I'm glad to be back too sugah!  
  
TWLgirl: out of morbid curiosity, what does TWL stand for? I'm one of your faves? YAY! I still love 'hearing' people say that! As to the dream being a premonition of a dark near future.you're the first fan to have brought the idea up. (Someone thought it might be repressed memories.) But if it were a premonition, what would it mean? *grins mysteriously as glasses flash over her shadowed face* That is the real question. Yes, it usually does mean something very bad when Xavier's twitchy. Lord Magneto is so much cooler.*sigh* too bad they ruined him in Evolution so far. What happened to his nobility? Well, he was okay in that one with Cap. America.  
  
Kay: Yay! I've turned another to the god that is Toad. Of course I myself have been a loyal servant of the Cult of the Cajun since I was seven and watching the original run of the cartoons. They better not screw him up! Of course now I feel a little torn. Is it okay to worship two gods in the same series?  
  
Well, there they are my replies to all of the reviews I've seen so far. Hehe. Remember how I had Todd host the reviews when we hit fifty of 'em? When we hit a hundred I'll make Remy do it!  
  
Now as to this chapter, how will Xavier react to the revelation that there are mutants in Bayville high? Probably not at all judging from the (nonexistent) precautions he took when he knew Mystique was the principal. What other things does this chapter hold in store? Can we say 'night of the living dead'?' And oh my gosh, is that a blip on Cerebro?  
  
Noi? Noi! I just figured it out! Why the Professor seems not to like Toad! The same reason that Magneto wouldn't like Scott! It's sort of a 'you're the first follower of my rival, so you probably believe him the most' thing! Yay! I figured it out!  
  
Disclaimer: I own Ebony, Hunter, Gabriel and Arachne. Um, well that's more of a 'Claimer' but you get the idea.  
  
Chapter 20.Curse of the Killer Zombie Mutant Cyborgs  
  
Lance stood in the Professor's office with Todd lingering near the door behind him. The room was only dimly lit leaving the earth shaker the only one not cloaked in shadow. Although the darkness made his friend look slightly foreboding it had an even more eerie effect on the older man that Lance was surprised, and a little embarrassed that he was coming to respect. The cool glow of a computer monitor and a contrastingly warm desk lamp threw shadows across Xavier's face sinking his eyes back into his face and casting his bald head into half darkness like a Cheshire moon.  
  
"Is something wrong Lance?" The Professor's commonly soothing voice was slightly tense, something that the boy had not expected and certainly did nothing to set his fears at ease.  
  
He paused for a moment, and then he began. "Yeah. Todd here was looking around and he stumbled on.Well you see there were these new kids, two brothers and a sister, Hunter, Gabriel and Arachne and they were kinda trying to make friends with us, y'know, Summers and his crew too."  
  
The scholarly man nodded, "Yes Scott did say something to that extent."  
  
"Yeah, I figured he might because they were kinda weird. Anyway so Todd, em, stumbles across the three of them in the hallway. And they were talking about some kind of mission involving collecting information about mutants and trying to capture one for research."  
  
Xavier looked taken aback by this statement. "Continue, please."  
  
"So he's watching them talk about the info they've gotten and how they're gonna try and capture somebody without attracting attention. But then they said something about if necessary 'terminate hostile mutants' and Toad realized they had to be sentinels because that's exactly what they said. Plus he realized that they walked like they did too."  
  
As Lance ended his summery the vaunted Professor sighed. "I was afraid that something like this was going to happen." He paused in thought a moment, and then looked toward the back of the room. "Do you have anything to add, Toad?"  
  
"Nah, that's about all, yo." In the dim light Todd, leaning against the closed office door seemed rather more brooding than was usual. "So what's the plan, Prof.?"  
  
The man closed his blue eyes for a moment. "Inform all the students that I want to speak to them in the parlor."  
  
Lance nodded and turned, Todd following him as he passed out the door.  
  
Still in his office the Professor sighed for the third time this afternoon, this time doubting that it was either necessary or wise to inform the students of this. But he'd traveled that road before, not telling them that Mystique was their principal and when they'd been, understandably, upset, he'd promised to inform them of any potentially bad situations he knew of. Xavier was a man of his word.  
  
***  
  
Ebony perched rather felinely on the arm of the couch, for once at eye level with Todd who sat on the cushion nearest her. He had told her a moment ago that the Professor was going to tell them something important and they headed for the drawing room while word of the conference spread. Now all the students of the Institute were somewhere in the just big enough room. Lance, Freddy and Pietro were off in a corner; Jean, Tabby and Kitty were discussing in the center of the room with Scott, Evan and Kurt off to their left. In a cluster of less familiar mutants Ebony recognized both the amusing prankster Bobby Drake, and the small boy who had happened to oversee her and Todd at the movies. On the other side of she and Todd's couch sat Rogue, Remy standing beside her in the corner formed by the wall and the edge of the sofa, his usual smug grin still plastered on his overly attractive face.  
  
Dying of curiosity the small girl turned to ask Todd what he thought was going on when the Professor entered the room, flanked by Storm, Beast and Wolverine and the room fell silent, all eyes on their teacher.  
  
He smiled fondly at the amassed group of boys and girls and he spoke. "My students, I'm afraid I have some rather unsettling news. I am certain that you all know of the recent anti-mutant attacks on some of your classmates by covert androids called Sentinels." There was a murmur of agreement, especially among those who had experienced the ordeal. Xavier continued. "I regret to announce that it has been discovered that three of these Sentinels have been discovered posing as students in your high school." He sensed a wave of anxiety pass through them and there was a shocked whispering among them. "These androids are calling themselves Hunter, Gabriel and Arachne and-"  
  
The Professor was cut off by a sudden outburst from Kitty. "But, Professor, they like, sit at our table!"  
  
He nodded. "I am aware of that Kitty. Students, I want you to be wary of these three but please try not to act suspiciously. The Sentinels are not human and will not hesitate to use violence if they feel threatened. I would like anyone who has had a lot of contact with these three to come with me to my office for a few minutes. The rest of you may go."  
  
Slowly the crowd broke some staying where they were to discuss these things, some leaving and some following Xavier to his office. The professor felt the anxiety among his students, none of them felt safe, but false security wasn't an asset.  
  
The students who followed near silently to Xavier's office were Scott, Kurt, Pietro, Todd, Ebony and Kitty. Beast came along as well. Once there he addressed them. "It would be helpful for me if each of you tells me anything you know about these three as well as anything you've said to them that you feel may have given them any information about mutants."  
  
Pietro spoke first. "Um, well I gave Gabriel a personality summery of everybody but that doesn't really count, does it?"  
  
As it turned out in the next few moments no one really knew much about the three, but nor could anyone remember saying anything really important to them. Ebony wondered if she should mention that Arachne looked like her dead best friend. It didn't really seem to matter.  
  
The Professor was speaking with Scott about how Hunter behaved when the computer on Xavier's desk made a trilling noise.  
  
"Excuse me," he checked the screen. "Well, Cerebro is registering another mutant, right here in Bayville. That's rather odd."  
  
"Who is it Professor?" Scott asked.  
  
"Here, I'll put here on the screen for you." He did so.  
  
The image on the monitor in the back of the room was the picture of a young girl beside a list of her background and known statistics. She was thin, almost gaunt, with short wispy silverblonde hair and a pale complexion.  
  
In stunned silence Ebony listened to the computer as it read off the new mutant's information. "Name: Maryanne Valentine. Age: 15. Power: Healing. Status: Deceased."  
  
That last one shocked everyone. How could the computer be registering her as a mutant if she was dead? It shocked Ebony the most. Maryanne had been her best friend, who had died over a year ago in a car crash.  
  
"But Ivory's dead!" she shouted vehemently to the surprise of all in the room, she glared at the screen. "You're computer's fu- that's not Maryanne! That's Arachne!" she exclaimed noting the small scar beneath the Sentinel's eye. "But why the hell's it saying it's Ivory?!" Ebony's midnight-blue eyes darkened to their angry black.  
  
Toad gingerly put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He looked down into her eyes. "Hold tight Eb, there's gotta be some reason, right Prof.? Or is your computer just screwed up?"  
  
The Professor put his fingers together. "I might be able to explain it, if you were to tell me what exactly was going on."  
  
The dark, elfin mutant stared icily through the professor. "Ivory was killed in a car crash two years ago. The Sentinel Arachne looks exactly like her except for that scar," she pointed stiffly. "Ivory's name was Maryanne Valentine. Why does that machine say that Arachne is Maryanne and a mutant?"  
  
Had the Professor been alone he would have massaged his temples. What a day. Maybe he should ask Hank for some tea, or aspirin. "I don't know what to tell you Ebony. Cerebro operates on the basis of genetic code, not physical appearance."  
  
"I hope you don't expect me to go to school on Monday Professor," she whispered turned to the door, then looked back. "At least until I know I'm not being stalked by a mutant zombie robot of my dead friend." She left, slamming the door behind her.  
  
***  
  
Their creator had them housed in a small apartment mostly to keep up appearances, but there was another reason as well. These were a different model than the Sentinels he'd used for public attacks. They had been programmed only to seek and destroy no finesse involved. But these were infiltration types. They were more complex. They needed to be able to think and plan ways to carry out their master's orders; they had real human intelligence and creativity. But not free will. This in itself was very tricky to accomplish and Bolivar Trask had discovered that there were certain limits to what artificial intelligence could manage. But he was a genius and he was willing to do anything to accomplish his goals. It had taken countless failed attempts but finally, just over a year ago, he had been successful at creating the first three Sentinel cyborgs, melding his robotic and computer technology with the freshly deceased. It was possible that some short sighted people might be want to look upon him as some Dr. Frankenstein but in the long run humanity would praise him for the destruction of the mutant menace.  
  
Of course, there were drawbacks to creating cyborgs. Because they were partially organic they needed both food and sleep, but that was little price for such powerful tools completely at his command. It was to this end that while infiltrating the Bayville School they kept a small apartment.  
  
The Sentinel called Arachne was at this moment in her room, huddled in a fetal position on her bed, her biomechanical body racked with a mysterious pain. It was a pain like fire, like her body was trying to rip itself apart one cell at a time. Since over an hour ago she had tried to run a systems diagnostic many times, but the scan would get little more than halfway through before shutting down and sending her a general error message. She should have been screaming in agony and frustration, but she was not. In the year since her 'birth' she had learned much more control than that. Screaming would serve no purpose, there was no one who could help her, save her master and she could not contact him until the next day.  
  
She should have told their mission leader, Hunter of this. But there was some pride or fear in her that brought her to rationalize that Hunter did not need to know. She would only be required to tell him should the pain persist and endanger the mission. Arachne should not have been able to feel hate, so she didn't know what the emotion was or that she felt it for Hunter. But she did.  
  
She lay there, trembling on the covers of the bed, short silvery hair splayed out across the pillow. Her garments were discarded revealing small blue wires running discreetly over some parts of her flesh, most notably her left side and lower legs and there were many thin white scars across her body, like the one on her face. Arachne did not know why she had these outward signs of her nature when neither of her brothers did. The master only said that there had been some previous damage to her raw materials. It was not her place to ask any further, though she wanted to.  
  
A cyborg who is completely controlled is not curious.  
  
***  
  
In another part of the same small apartment a lithe figure with golden hair and violet eyes lounged crosswise is an armchair musing. Gabriel had been the first of the cyborgs to be created, making him the oldest of them. That did not however make him field commander, that job went to the youngest, the supposedly most perfect of them. Hunter. They were project A.R.C.H.E.R, Adaptable and Rational Cyborg for Handling Espionage and Reconnaissance. Gabriel did not allow himself a smile, but returned to the thoughts which he was keeping at hand.  
  
There was a dream he'd been having, which was a new experience for him, an experience which had begun a little less than a week before. It was not what a normal human would consider a particularly odd dream, but for a cyborg any dream was odd. The dream was this.  
  
It began with a very small boy of perhaps five or so, whom Gabriel deduced from physical distinctions to be himself. There was an image of the boy playing with a ball outside a small suburban house. Then there was an image of the same boy eating dinner with two adults, a male and a female, who seemed to show him affection. Then the boy was gone and replacing him was a slightly older boy of similar features. There were images of him attending grade school and playing softball. Next an even more slightly older boy attacked by a vicious dog, the dog tearing a large wound in his side. Flash to the boy in the hospital, getting a blood transfusion for his dog inflicted wounds. The same boy again, now only a year older than the previous and looking nearly the same as Gabriel currently did. The boy was losing weight and getting sick easily. Flash forward to the boy in the hospital, so exhausted he could barely move, his parents crying. The dream ending.  
  
Gabriel should have been puzzled by these images, but the only thing that puzzled him was why he was having them. By all rights he shouldn't have been able to remember his former life.  
  
But then again he was the first; perhaps Trask hadn't yet perfected his creations.  
  
A month ago Gabriel would have stared at you blankly if you asked him if he wanted free will. Now he wanted to again be his own master and in a way that desire itself gave him some. But there were commands in his programming that simply wanting to be able to disobey did not mean that he could yet disobey them without shutting his systems down in the process. Yet.  
  
~  
  
Well, that was creepy, neh? What do you think has Xavier's shorts in a twist? Any ideas yet? And is the author just obsessed with dreams or is there an actual plot point there? Who knows! (Ooo! I do! Not tellin'.) Why does Cerebro register Arachne as Maryanne? (As if you didn't all know by now!) But you don't know why it registers her as a mutant, do ya? Or why she'd in pain? Hm, do ya? And what of the treachery of Gabriel?  
  
Next chapter a tense Saturday at the X-Mansion. Gambit and Rogue spend some quality time. Todd tries to cheer Ebony up by, well, you'll see! Till Tomorrow True Believers. 


	21. Rainy Day Man

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Well, I didn't exactly realize when I said it that it'd only be two days before I passed one hundred reviews. But I am a Bunny of my word and thus I present to you, everyone's favorite devilishly handsome Cajun, a glowing personality with eyes and powers to match, a man recently called by one fangirl 'the flaming card guy'. Here he is without further adieu, Remy LeBeau!  
  
*Grins* Why thank you mon petite, et bienvenuz a vous mes femmems. De writer herself tell me you jus' dyin' to see Remy an' he happy to oblidge.  
  
Capslock: De Toad be an okay homme, non? An' petite a cute one. Bunny must be a good writer if Remy here. She say 'Merci a vous' Bunny is sometime insecure. Maybe you tink story better than it is for reading it at two am? De writer she say Kurt PI get his own story in a while. What dis about piranha worms? Remy tink you besoin dorimir, chere. Mon Dieu! Madmoiselle Capslock vous hit the nail on de head about de dream! And Chere Bunny was giving up hope anyone would, guess she wrong, non ? But what happen after those events come to pass de question, an' when did Frog boy go telepath oui? Bunny say she even has a good reason mon ami!  
  
Queenducky: Oui, nous grand ecrivain is back. De killer mutant zombie cyborgs love you too chere, too bad dey de Sentinels, oui? You see what time I spend wit chere, mon ami an' remember to check de rating of dis fic pour moi. Not dat Gambit not up for some 'sale amour' but dat have to wait pour mon cherie, non ?  
  
Blue eyes: Glad you like de story chere, who you tink she write more of, Cyclops et Jean?  
  
Monitor: Like de lizard or de computer ami? Ton nomme, I mean. Bunny assures moi that she not stop writing if Wolverine 'ask' her. De frog boy deserve un femme oui ? You mean all femmes don' do that chere? Remy tink vous needs to curb your violent impulses, de morons not hurt petite too much. Stalking de best ting chere Remy knows. You don' cry for mes amies okay? Remy make sure tings go fine. Keep laughing. Remy assure you he be a better kisser than Todd without de homme's 'mutant adavatges' non? I am tres sorry dat Ebony ever have to call dat ting 'mere'. Why you type wit one finger chere? De more reviews de merrier! De creepy people tres suspisious, dey not act human very well.  
  
Akasha : Good to see you too chere.  
  
Muffinelf: Wax fumes or something more deadly chere, Remy wonder where his gym socks went!  
  
Red Witch: De writer looking forward to votre sequel madam, 'specially since she know Remy be in dis one!  
  
Todd Fan: It not take long at all, chere, check your e-mail now. What ton fic about, eh? Maybe you have saner dreams if you don' eat snacks a noir, non?  
  
DecrepitMonkey58: petite lapin must be a tres bon writer if she can make so many fans for mon homme Todd. He not de easy kind to love, non? You Remy's favorite character too chere. I give you a card if you ever on de right side o' de multiverse.  
  
Kyo Kusanagi: female verion: Dere a male one o' you around, femme? Elle writing tres vite pour vous.  
  
Cat bodkin: I hosting now, oui?  
  
Queen Kaylene: You not need get out de spork arsenal, Gambit can hold his own in a fight, oui? But good to know dey hurt my image dey up against an army de rabid fangirls. Dat scare any network executive Remy tinks. Now Remy has his own church of polytheistic femmes, vache. Dat French slang for 'cool' chere, incidentally it really mean 'cow'. Weird, non?  
  
Well, Remy never know dere dat many cheres in dis world after him, maybe he give up being a mutant to come ne? But Remy don't tink Cable be happy if he took de time displacement core cheche les femmes, non? I have mon cherie anyway, dat enough pour moi. As pour dis chapter o de fic, it just another weekend at de X-masion.  
  
Disclaimer: Cheres, all dis be happening in a parallel universe. We belong to ourselves. De title from a dubbed Sailor Moon song.  
  
Chapter 21.Rainy Day Man  
  
A distinct aura of tension surrounded the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters that fine Saturday morning. The students milled their daily weekend routines trying to ignore the miasma of anxiety that had descended upon the realization that the mutant hunting Sentinels were in their high school. In his office the Professor felt the oppression of this uneasiness on top of the strange presence he had been vaguely aware of for several days now. In the dining room Bobby did his best to crack jokes. In her bedroom Ebony still slept, for once ignoring the self-programmed impulse to get up for cartoons. Instead, Rogue who was usually one of the later risers at the Institute was awake and, even more surprisingly, making herself pancakes. She was even smiling, though admittedly she wasn't humming pleasantly to herself.  
  
Someone came up behind her and put his arms around her shoulders, he was warm, even if she couldn't feel his skin on hers.  
  
"'Mornin' chere," he greeted.  
  
"G'mornin' Remy ya want some pancakes?"  
  
"Dat sound good to me." He turned and got a mug down from the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee. Rogue finished putting the pancakes on two plates and set them on the table.  
  
"How you been, chere?" he smiled as they sat down. "You sleep okay, non?"  
  
"Ah feel pretty good, all things considered."  
  
"Dat good, de whole maison seem pretty wound up, but Remy sure de Professor know how to settle de Sentinel ting."  
  
She nodded. It had only been the weekend before that they had first really spoken, but already they were close, after Remy had given her a 'kiss'.  
  
***  
  
She was still in her room; she still hadn't turned on the light. The empty silver box was sitting on her dresser, and she was sitting on her bed, holding herself the tears running down her cheeks. She didn't know why but she felt even more vulnerable than before.  
  
Someone tapped on her door.  
  
"Who is it?" she whispered so quietly that she didn't expect anyone to hear.  
  
"C'est moi, chere. May I come in?"  
  
Words failed her. "Ah don' - shuah."  
  
The door opened and he was framed for a moment in the light of the doorway. His face was hidden in shadow and his brown hair fell over his red eyes. "You be cryin' cherie? Pour quoi?" he smiled.  
  
She could only look at him, "Ah don' know, I guess Ah'm lonely," she sighed.  
  
"But Remy right here, non?" he strode over and sat beside her bed. "I see you get my kiss." She tried to look away but he lifted her chin with two gloved fingers. "You accept it, oui?"  
  
"Ah, ah did, but-"  
  
"Shh, mon cherie. Remy tell you before dat he love you, what you say?"  
  
"Ah," she looked into his red on black eyes. "Ah do but-" he put a finger to her lips.  
  
"Remy know what he getting' into, Chere don' need to say a word." He drew her close to him, careful not to touch bare skin. She wished he didn't need to worry. He was so warm and comforting. "We get tru dis together, oui?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
***  
  
That was a week ago, now they just sat across from each other eating breakfast.  
  
"Make good pancakes, chere," he complimented.  
  
"Thank ya," she favored him with a smile that was becoming less rare by the day.  
  
"You wanna take a walk after breakfast, chere?"  
  
"Ah don' see why not shugah." She hadn't of course, looked out the window.  
  
***  
  
Todd knocked on the door, it was almost noon and Ebony still wasn't up. He may not have known her an incredibly long time, but he knew that this was definitely unusual. There was no answer.  
  
"Yo Eb, you awake?" There was still no response, he knocked again. "Yo, yo Eb'ny it's almost noon."  
  
This time there was a muffled snort, followed by a string of mumblings and finally some coherent speech. "Huh? H'lo? That you Todd?"  
  
He was relieved he'd been half afraid she was in a coma or something. "Yeah, S'me. You okay? It's 'leven -thirty."  
  
"I'm fine, you can come in if you want." He opened the door, she was sitting up in her bed wearing a black nightgown her eyes had a cloudy look to them. "Sorry; I didn't fall asleep until pretty late last night." She smiled wanly.  
  
"S'okay. I was jus' a little worried is all. Everybody's on edge this morning, me included. Don' think I told ya last night; it was me who found the Sentinels."  
  
"You?"  
  
"Yup," he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Found 'em plottin' in a dark corner of the hall way. You okay Eb?"  
  
She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Not really, no. I want to know.why things are happening this way." She left unspoken her exact thought. Why was Cerebro registering the Sentinel Arachne as a mutant, and as her dead best friend?  
  
He nodded. "I know whatcha mean. Seems like all the shit goin' down in the world lately is happenin' in an' around dear ol' Bayville New York. You'd think fate'd pick a better burg to terrorize, but nooo of course not."  
  
She smiled at his sarcasm. "Is it really almost noon?" she glanced at the curtain; barely any light was coming through.  
  
"It's supposed to rain today." As if on cue thunder struck and it started to pour.  
  
Ebony laughed. "Do you mind the rain?"  
  
He shrugged. "Not really."  
  
"You wanna come outside with me?"  
  
***  
  
Rogue and Remy were all the way to Main Street when it started to rain.  
  
"Ah shoulda known," Rogue stated amicably. "We're gonna get soaked if we don't get inside somewhere fast sugah."  
  
"Come on then Chere, we can duck in here an' have lunch while we stay dry." Remy took her wrist and led her swiftly into a small family diner.  
  
The diner was dimly lit and the state outside wasn't helping things. The two of them sat down at a booth and were promtly visited by a bored waitress.  
  
"Nasty weather we're having ain't it?" the brunette stated. "Awful warm for the end a January though." It was true, over the past week it had been warmer than normal, although by no means unnaturally so. All the snow had melted and it must have been fifty degrees that morning. "So what'll you two be havin' hm?"  
  
***  
  
Hunter looked out the window of the apartment into the bleak weather. "It's you're turn to patrol, Gabriel," he stated both factually and expressionlessly, though the gilded haired boy would have sworn he heard a satisfied note in his superior's voice.  
  
Gabriel tossed the team leader a bored glance and coolly rose from the chair. "Do we posses an umbrella in our inventory?" he asked with irony that amused only himself and was lost on the only other person present.  
  
"No."  
  
He shrugged untroubled and picked a long gray raincoat from the coat rack. He left the room, closing the door behind him and alone in the third floor hallway of the apartment complex allowed himself a satisfied smirk. "Bastard," he muttered amusedly and walked down the corridor and the stairs. Outside in the drenching rain he looked up at the black sky and grinned pleased at the fact that the storm really annoyed him. It had been a while since he'd been able to be annoyed. He started down the street.  
  
Patrol consisted of just once around the city making sure that there was no detectable mutant activity. Gabriel ran a hand through his already soaking gold hair and made a face. Not that he minded getting out of the Hell Hole as he affectionately had begun to call it, but not when it was, he searched to remember the colloquialism, raining cats and dogs.  
  
There were very few people outside today, lucky bastards. He looked up and down the street. Somehow he doubted there was going to be any 'mutant activity' this afternoon. Not like he cared, well, not like he wanted to care. Devoid of any attractive outside stimuli and very wet and uncomfortable he buried himself in his thoughts. Before his death he had been Andrew Roads, but he'd never liked the name really, and now despite the reasons it had been given him, he discovered he liked the name Gabriel far better. He thought it suited him. He was arrogant like that.  
  
He heaved a sigh, this cold downpour really was miserable. If only he could go in some place and get dry. Well, why couldn't he? His orders were to patrol the city. They didn't, specifically, say that he couldn't stop for lunch on the way. Gabriel smiled; elated by each new time he managed to out maneuver his programming and swept smugly into a small family diner.  
  
Immediately he was confronted by a definite problem. In a booth in the corner eating french-fries sat two previously identified mutants. It was hard enough to balk long enough to even try to reason with his orders; he knew this was going to be a challenge. But that was okay. He liked challenges.  
  
The argument with his programming went like this. His orders were to identify any mutant activity and put an end to it, if possible to capture one. The master had contacted them that morning, specifying that he was tired of waiting and wanted to get his test subject soon. That meant if they didn't find anything on patrol that weekend, Monday.  
  
So, he was supposed to accost anyone exhibiting mutant activity. He realized he'd found the key. Though these two were ID'd mutants they weren't exhibiting any mutant behavior. Therefore his orders didn't apply to them, therefore he could feel free to sit down and have lunch without his 'conscience' nagging at him to start a paranormal bar-fight in the middle of a family diner. As long as the two didn't use their powers.  
  
He smirked triumphantly, his violet eyes sparkling under drenched bangs, and swiftly sat down in a booth across the room, took off his sopping wet coat and shook his hair out animalisticly. He ordered a hamburger and Pepsi from a friendly waitress, and particularly satisfied with himself, ate.  
  
***  
  
Rogue saw the Sentinel come in, saw him look at them grimly a moment then smirk and sit down. "Remy," she whispered, "it's one a them."  
  
He looked. "Cool it Chere. De Professor say we not s'posed to start trouble, non?"  
  
"But he looked right at us. What if he's here to attack us? The Professah said they wanted to capture a test subject."  
  
"Remy say he not start trouble chere. He not say he wouldn't finish it. So relax. Maybe he just here for a bite, oui?"  
  
Uncomfortably Rogue agreed and turned back to her food.  
  
***  
  
Ebony insisted on sitting up in the bare branches of a tree while they sat in the rain  
  
"Yo Eb, aren't you afraid you gonna get hit by lightnin'?"  
  
"C'mon, there are lots more taller trees around; this one isn't going to get stuck by lightning." She smiled. "C'mon up. Please?"  
  
He sighed and leapt up next to her. "Man its cold out here." He rubbed his webbed hands together and pulled his jacket tighter. "Why you wanna sit out in the rain? It is nasty out yo."  
  
"I like the rain," she smiled and pulled the ribbon out of her hair, letting the wet raven locks fall their full four feet. "It feels cleansing. I'm not fond of sunny days. Maybe I oughta move to Seattle."  
  
Todd made a face. Well, at least she seemed happier now, he thought, shivering. Wish there it was something else that did the trick though. Luckily for the wet froggy boy he was rescued after only a few minutes.  
  
: Toad, Ebony,: the professor mindsent, :get back inside before you both catch cold, or get struck by lightning.:  
  
Ebony sighed. "Yes Nanny Xavier."  
  
***  
  
Gabriel returned to the apartment several hours later. The two mutants had left shortly after he arrived but he had decided to wait out the storm.  
  
"I have no mutant activity to report Hunter," he told his Superior with deceptive truth.  
  
The dark haired Sentinel nodded and left the room.  
  
"Witless bastard," Gabriel muttered gratefully.  
  
~  
  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter because my spell check really gets pissed off when I write Remy and Rogue's accents. Yes, I do mean to fix Rogue's personality; they had no right to turn her into some dour goth chick. And that's not all I mean to fix eventually. *author grins maniacally* What do you think of our cheating scoundrel of Sentinel? Heh, can you tell he amuses me? What's going to happen on Monday when Hunter orders the attack on the mutants? Will it be during school hours? Will they manage to catch anyone? Will Gabriel even consent to fight? What's with Arachne? Find out, very soon! 


	22. Margin Of Error

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Sorry for the delay in the posting of this chapter, I've been sick. Like, can't get out of bed sick. In order to get right to the chapter I am only answering one review today (and that's just cuz its such an important question.) All other reviews will be answered next chapter.  
  
The question has been put to me, just why it is called Darwinian Rhapsody. Apparently some of you have been wondering about this; quite understandable, it's an odd title. I'll try to answer simply. Charles Darwin created his theory of, guess what, evolution! It stated basically that genetic variations or mutations within a species, which allowed the organism to survive more easily than the rest of its race, were passed on to the next generation. Eventually the mutated organisms would replace their previous species because they were better equipped to survive. This theory is often stated as 'survival of the fittest.' A Rhapsody is a joyful love song.  
  
Therefore a 'Darwinian Rhapsody' is a love song in which only the strong (Of heart) survive.  
  
Disclaimer: If you're confused, check another chapter.  
  
Chapter 22.Margin of Error  
  
By Monday the temperature had returned to the low thirties, the sky was very dark and had been threatening to snow all afternoon. Ebony sat in her last class of the say, English, watching the Jane Eyre movie. She sighed and bit her lip, not really paying attention as Jane told Mr. Rochester that she was leaving to visit her dying aunt. She glanced carelessly across the room and her eyes fell on the mysterious Sentinel Arachne. She shivered and looked away. Her gaze returned to the boy in front of her and she closed her eyes.  
  
She had nearly refused to come to school today, because of the sentinel situation, and nothing the Professor could say to reassure her was any help. In the end she had agreed to come for Todd, because he wanted her company, and because she wasn't going to leave him to be killer robot lunchmeat. In her mind he was the more vulnerable of the pair. She saw him as being mentally fragile, it made her feel nice that he wanted to protect her (such as in the Duncan Matthews incident a week or so ago) but.Granted she wasn't the most physically superior mutant, nor really the most stable but she felt perfectly capable of taking care of herself.  
  
Ebony opened her eyes again to the flickering, movie-lit room just as Mrs. S-Z turned off the tape. The bell rang but she stayed in her seat a moment as the rest of the class filed out, she waited until Arachne was gone. Todd turned around and leaned on her desk.  
  
"Ya ready to go, Ebby?" he grinned.  
  
She nodded and stood waving carelessly to the teacher as the two of them left the room. They passed down the hall and he waited as she got her book bag out of the locker. Todd looked around, pretty much no one was in the hall, since they'd waited so long to leave class. It was just like the first day they'd spoken. As Ebony rummaged through her locker he jumped on top of it and looked down at her.  
  
"Heya cutie," he kissed her on the nose.  
  
She giggled. "You're such a sweetheart Froggy boy."  
  
He leapt down behind her and hugged her.  
  
Someone spoke behind them. "You two are such a cute couple."  
  
Ebony whirled around. "You."  
  
The girl with silver hair stood leaning against the other set of lockers. "Hello Kimberly. How would you like to come meet my Daddy? He's been looking forward to seeing you."  
  
Todd stepped in front of the dark little mutant protectively. "You ain't comin' any where near my girl, ya terminator wannabe slut."  
  
"Huhm? Oh so you've discovered our secret. Well." she smirked.  
  
***  
  
Rogue and Remy stood near the parking lot at the side of the building.  
  
"You ready ta go home yet chere?"  
  
She shrugged. "Ready when you ah sugah."  
  
"Oh but you two can't go just yet," someone said behind them.  
  
"And why not mon ami?" Remy asked turning to the gold haired Sentinel. Unnoticeably he palmed a few playing cards from a deck in his coat. Rogue leaned closer to him.  
  
"Because I have orders to take you prisoner I'm afraid," he smiled genially though sounded more than a bit bored. "Don't worry it should only take a few minutes."  
  
"You right, homme, because it not take more den dat for Remy take you apart."  
  
***  
  
Scott stood outside the classroom, waiting for Jean to finish tutoring some freshman in math. He was her ride home today since Duncan was out sick with something. Scott didn't know what but he hoped it was nasty.  
  
Jean followed the girl out of the room past Scott.  
  
"Thanks for the help," she smiled.  
  
"Any time Laura, I'm glad we got you straightened out with those fractions."  
  
The girl nodded and left.  
  
"Hey Jean," Scott greeted.  
  
"Oh, Hi Scott. How was your day?"  
  
"Fine. And how's tutoring going?"  
  
"Really well, actually, thanks for asking."  
  
"So, can we go home now, or have you got any more students that couldn't survive a day without you?"  
  
She laughed. "The Bayville student body can wait, right now I just want to go home."  
  
"I'm afraid that's impossible, Jean," the black haired Sentinel said coldly. "The two of you are coming with me."  
  
Scott whirled around, "Hunter."  
  
He nodded. "Scott. You are an identified mutant. You will come quietly or you will be taken."  
  
"Well we're not coming so I guess you're just going to have to try and take us."  
  
***  
  
Todd went into a crouch; Ebony drew on shadow liquid. They waited for the Sentinel to make her move.  
  
She seemed to be hesitating, but then lifted an arm and a slot slid back in the palm of her hand, where a high intensity laser had been implanted. She prepared to fire. And screamed in agony doubling over and falling to the floor.  
  
"What the hell?" Todd demanded, confused.  
  
"Oh god, it hurts," she whimpered tears running out of clouded over eyes.  
  
"I-I don't know," Ebony said, shaken. They both stared at the small shaking figure.  
  
"E-ebony, is that you? I can't see anything." The girl's voice shook with pain and fear.  
  
Ebony's breath caught in her throat. "That's Ivory's voice, and she knows me. We have to help her."  
  
Todd was about to protest, but he looked into the shadow mutant's eyes and he saw the crumpled sobbing figure on the floor. He nodded. "She's passed out. I'll carry her. I just hope either Scott or Remy hasn't left yet."  
  
***  
  
The Cajun charged the cards in his hand and Rogue took a step back, sensing that this was between him and the Sentinel.  
  
The amethyst eyed creature lifted a hand wizard style and aimed his fingers dead center between Gambit's eyes, and then he moved his hand about a foot to the right and fired a bolt of blue electricity from his finger tips into the wall of the school. He gave a cheshire grin and said with mock disappointment. "Oh dear, clumsy me. I seem to have missed. Your move."  
  
Gambit raised an eyebrow at the Sentinel's curious behavior but none the less threw the cards at him. Gabriel jumped out of the way easily and the royal flush exploded harmlessly on the ground around him.  
  
He ran a hand through his golden hair. "Oh dear, you mutants are just too much for me. Curse you, curse you, you mutant scum," he said entirely without feeling and ran off.  
  
"You don' tink we should go after him, eh chere?"  
  
"Now that was odd, sugah, if Ah didn't know bettah Ah'd say he didn't want ta fight us."  
  
"Chere, I'd say that be it exactly. You tink we ought to tell de others?"  
  
"Ah'd say it merits a report."  
  
"Den we better get goin' non?"  
  
They were heading to the car when they heard someone running up behind them and someone called out.  
  
"Guys, wait up!"  
  
Remy turned. "What happen, petite? Idnt dat one a de sentinels?"  
  
"She was going to attack us, but she fell over in pain and we don't know what's wrong, but I think she is Ivory."  
  
"Dat weird, we get attacked too, but he didn't seem to want to fight, oui chere?"  
  
Rogue nodded, "He missed Gambit intentionally then jus' up an' ran off."  
  
"Yo, can we cut the chat? She ain't as light as she looks y'know."  
  
"Jus get in de car mon ami"  
  
***  
  
Scott, Jean and Hunter were locked in a trio of mortal combat. The Sentinel was frenziedly lobbing spheres of contained energy around the hallway while Scott returned a volley of optic force blasts and Jean shielded herself and Scott, when he needed it, psychically. There was no banter during this fight; none of the combatants were the type.  
  
Hunter darted around Jean as his red energy spheres ricocheted off the force shield. He turned quickly and unleashed a blast at Scott who deflected it with an optic blast and then let off another which hit Hunter in the chest.  
  
The Sentinel reeled backwards, clutching his chest. "Mission abort," he said simply and without another word ran off down the hall.  
  
"C'mon Jean we have to go after him."  
  
"Scott no, we have to go and tell the Professor."  
  
He hesitated, but turned. "You're right, come on."  
  
***  
  
"Professor!" Ebony called as they ran into the mansion, "come quick!"  
  
He rolled quickly into the room. "What is it Ebony," his eyes fell on Gambit who was now carrying the Sentinel. "Isn't that one of the?  
  
"We were attacked, or something. She started to fire on me and Todd but then she just fell over, she said she was in pain."  
  
"An we got attacked too professah, but he jus' missed on purpose an' then ran off."  
  
"Hmmm, that's very strange, come, bring the Sentinel to the medical facility."  
  
Just them Scott and Jean burst in. "Professor, we were attacked by-"  
  
"There's no need to shout Scott; it seems that you were all attacked. Follow us to the medical facility and you can tell me all about it."  
  
***  
  
Gabriel and Hunter met back at the apartment.  
  
"Where is Arachne?" Hunter demanded. "I have received no communication from her since we began the operation."  
  
"The mutants have her. I was unable to intervene."  
  
Hunter nodded. "They are stronger than anticipated. Stronger than they theoretically should be. We must relay this to the master. It will interest him."  
  
"To say the least," Gabriel mumbled inaudibly.  
  
***  
  
An hour later Ebony sat, nearly by herself in the medilab. Doctor McCoy had Arachne hooked up to several monitoring devices. With the technology the Institute possessed he was able to understand what was going on almost immediately. Arachne, and presumably the other two Sentinels at Bayville, were not the same as the Sentinels they had first encountered. They were cyborgs. A DNA test had revealed that Arachne really was Maryanne Valentine, Ivory. Presumably the Sentinel's creator had taken her body and engineered it to suit his purposes. Unexpectedly however, because her body was reawakened her powers had begun to manifest. To Ebony's horror, her mutant healing ability was rejecting her cybernetic implants, which would not only reawaken her memory, but also ultimately kill her.  
  
She stared at the unconscious but obviously living form of her dead friend. Both sorrow and anger swelled within her. How could someone do that? Raise the dead for their horrible purposes. And not only that, but now she was dying all over again, painfully. It made tears well and spill over in Ebony's dark eyes. It made murdering whoever had done this seem a happy aspect in her darkening heart.  
  
Beast came back into the room. "She probably won't be waking up any time soon I'm afraid."  
  
"I know," she whispered. "But I can't leave."  
  
"Todd's worried about you, but I told him that you most likely wanted to be alone."  
  
"Thank you." She wiped a tear from her face even as another fell.  
  
Hank sat down in a chair next to her. "Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
"She was the only friend I had for so long and then she died."  
  
"We all know what it's like to lose someone we care about."  
  
"Twice?"  
  
"Perhaps not." he looked up and saw someone peeking into the half open door.  
  
"Oh Mr. McCoy," Ebony broke into a fresh round of sobs. She reached to grab the Beast's arm but he merely patted her on the head and motioned for Todd to enter the room. He got up and let the boy sit in his place.  
  
Todd put his arms around the tiny tear racked creature and just let her cry. "It'll be okay Eb'ny, I'll make sure of it."  
  
~  
  
Well that's that. Next chapter, Ivory wakes up for a little while and she and Ebony talk. Todd's dream returns worse than ever! 


	23. Notes Left to Be Found

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hey guys. Sorry, last chapter I forgot to credit Queenducky with the title question. Oops. Here are some more reviews, well, technically responses there to.  
  
Starfire: Everyone loves Remy.  
  
Monitor: Dormir means 'to sleep'. Yes, I do try to dazzle the entire world with my French, now if only my French teacher thought I deserved something above a D. And the word you're looking for is not 'ventilateur'. That means the sort of 'fan' that keeps you cool in the summer. The word you were looking for is 'fanatique'. Remember that 'fan' is short for 'fanatic'. I like weird stories, tell me of these piranha worms my child.  
  
Todd fan: I'll make sure to review your fic.I already read the first chapter though. Didn't have time to R&R. It was good though.  
  
Queenducky: Do I really write Remy that well? I just write the accent the way I hear it in my mind, mmmmmm Cajun accent.  
  
Cat bodkin: Glad to have you aboard. Together we Todd fans will take over the world!  
  
Queen Kaylene: Kay honey, I made my day with Remy review responding. He was talking in my head for half an hour afterwards! Sorry the chapter took soooo long, as I said I was bedridden. Noi. ^.^  
  
Well that's that! Hey guess what? This has absolutely nothing to do with DR but I'm going to a concert tomorrow! (Saturday 1st) Green day and Blink 182 at Six flags Darien Lake! Yay!  
  
Disclaimer: I am Lord of All I Survey! MWAHAHA! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
Chapter 23.Notes Left to be Found  
  
It was past ten at night and still Ebony sat in her chair, just watching the nearly still form of her long fallen companion. Beside her Todd also sat, stubbornly refusing to leave the room until she did. She was glad of his company. It had been a few minutes since either of them had spoken after the conclusion of a rather long and subdued conversation about just how unfair life tended to be. Todd wished that he could think of something that would comfort Ebony but nothing came to him.  
  
He was about to make another try at conversation when a small movement in the bed across the room startled them both. The silver haired girl shifted slightly and opened her eyes.  
  
"E-Ebony?"  
  
Todd stood, "I'll go get Doctor McCoy," he told her, knowing that she would want to have a moment with her friend. The small girl nodded and he hopped silently from the room.  
  
Ebony smiled wanly, "It's really you, isn't it?"  
  
"Well of course it's me, who else would I be? What is this place? It doesn't smell like the hospital." The slender figure laid her head back on the pillow.  
  
"You're in the Institute."  
  
"The which? You and I know I'm crazy but I never thought they'd lock me up for it."  
  
Ebony blinked. "Not the mental institute, the Xavier Institute, for.mutants."  
  
"Huh? Now I'm confused. They think I'm a mutant because I survived getting hit by a car, or what?"  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. Ivory, she didn't remember anything after the accident. She didn't realize she'd died or that she'd been turned into a Sentinel. "Ivy, its, its been a while since the accident."  
  
She seemed a little taken aback by this but managed to laugh it gently off. "So I was in a coma hm? I thought you looked a little older. How long's it been?"  
  
"Over a year. But, listen, Ivory, you, you weren't in a coma exactly. You were.dead."  
  
She laughed again, a small, delicate sound like wind chimes. "But that's impossible; I'm alive now, if not kicking yet."  
  
Ebony closed her eyes. "I'm serious Iv, you died over a year ago, I thought you were gone."  
  
"I don't understand, Ebsy, tell me what's going on."  
  
She told her the whole story, how after she'd died Ebony had become a mutant, and come here to the Institute. About the Sentinel attacks, and how she'd tried to attack them but fallen over screaming.  
  
"But that doesn't make sense, if I died, why would someone do that? You mean to tell me I'm some no good mutant hunting cyborg?"  
  
She nodded sorrowfully. "That's what they intended anyway. Look at yourself, Doctor McCoy says you're covered in wires."  
  
"Is that the boy who was with you?"  
  
Ebony laughed despite it all. "Hardly."  
  
"Well excuse me, but if I'm a killer cyborg and you're a mutant anything's possible, right? So who is he then, and who's the doctor?"  
  
"That was Todd, he's well... we've sort of been dating. He's another mutant, everyone at the Institute is. Doctor McCoy is too, he's big and furry and he used to teach at the high school. He's funny."  
  
"So you've been dating huh, well, good for you."  
  
Ebony blushed tingeing her cheeks a black tone.  
  
Ivory wrinkled her nose. "Ebony, did you know that you blush funny?"  
  
"Yeah, it's because my blood's black."  
  
"Spooked."  
  
The conversation probably would have gone further but just then Beast came into the room, wearing his lab coat and a well-disposed smile. Behind him Toad crept nervously. "Well it seems our patient is finally awake. And how are you feeling young lady?"  
  
Ivory smiled back at him, taking more heed of his pleasant grin than his savage appearance. "Well I feel just fine, but Ebby tells me I've got a bad case of  
  
Terminator-itis."  
  
"Is that so? Well I hope that she hasn't gone and told you everything, then I'd feel inadequate."  
  
"If there's more to it than that I don't know about it."  
  
Beast's eyes became serious. "Todd, Ebony, could I ask you to leave for just a moment?"  
  
Ebony's eyes watered and she looked about to protest but Todd took her gently by the shoulder and she deferred to him, leaving the room and closing the door.  
  
Hank sighed. "I don't like keeping things from my patients but this is very hard for me to tell you. It seems that you're a mutant, one with exceptional healing ability. Ordinarily that would be wonderful, unfortunately, well, you know that your powers didn't manifest by the time of your accident, yes? Well, it seems that in bringing you back to life your body could finally manifest your abilities. Again, normally not a bad thing. However, the process which resuscitated you involved the grafting of quite a bit of machinery and computers into your system. Your healing powers are rejecting the implants, tearing them to pieces and because they're so integral to your survival, the process will almost inevitably kill you."  
  
Ivory did not cry. "So that's it then. Ha. You'd think mutation, which is supposed to be a favorable evolution to ensure survival, would understand not to kill you. How long have I got?"  
  
The Beast's voice became even more grave. "Days, at best. Hours maybe. Your healing powers are exceptionally strong."  
  
"Ha, healing. That's funny." The tone in her voice wasn't hysterical, but the look in her eyes was. "My healing powers are killing me. Well, that proves it right there."  
  
"Proves what, dare I ask?"  
  
"God does have a sense of humor. That makes me feel better; actually, it makes Him more touchable, more on the level you know? I wonder which religion is right?" she closed her eyes. "Could you ask Ebony to come in?"  
  
He nodded and brought the small creature in from the hall closed the door on the two girls.  
  
"So he told you."  
  
Ivory nodded. "How are my parents doing, do you know?"  
  
She nodded. "You remember that lawyer who was always advertising on TV how much money he could wring out of accident lawsuits?"  
  
"You mean that one, what is it, Jim 'the hammer' Shapiro? 'I may be an S.O.B, but I'm your S.O.B?"  
  
"That's the one. Your mom and dad hired him. It turns out the guy who hit you was rolling in it. Now your parents are. They set up a memorial fund in your name too, to help survivors of drunk driving."  
  
Ivory smiled. "I'm glad. Now, why don't you tell me what you've been up to?"  
  
***  
  
Todd stood outside the door with Doctor McCoy, not daring to leave the hallway.  
  
"Man, I wish there was sumpthin' I could do yo." He kicked at a nonexistent scrap of garbage on the floor.  
  
Beast nodded. "I understand my friend. Unfortunately this is something I would say was between Ebony and Ivory. The only thing you can do is what you already are, being as sensitive as possible. And I suggest that you get to bed, I find it hard to imagine you'll be in any shape for anything tomorrow if you stay up all night."  
  
Todd looked back at the closed door. He wanted to wait for Ebony, but he had a felling that she wasn't going to be leaving the room for a long while. He sighed and admitted, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Keep an eye on Eb for me though, kay?"  
  
"You have my word," the elder mutant replied, both playfully and seriously.  
  
He nodded and shuffled down the hallway.  
  
***  
  
Hunter strode uneasily out of the communications room and into the parlor. He faced Gabriel who was as usual crouched sideways in the large armchair.  
  
"I suppose he didn't like the report very much?" Gabriel asked, intentionally understating the matter.  
  
"He is coming here."  
  
"Ah." The lithe blonde boy had been expecting this to happen. Fortunately he had been crafting his plan around just such an occurrence. He had spent the past few hours combing one more time over all of his programming and sub-subroutines. But it seemed that his initial checks had not been in error, as he had feared. It was true, there had been no fail safes encoded into his system, no emergency override or shutdown, no remote control and no auto destruct. In other words as long as he wasn't given specific orders by either Trask or Hunter he was free. All because Trask had let his sheer arrogance get the better of him. Gabriel would remember that. He laughed.  
  
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "What is humorous?"  
  
Gabriel waved him over. "C'mere and I'll tell you."  
  
Hunter walked over confused.  
  
"Closer."  
  
Hunter came so close that his and Gabriel's noses were practically touching. "This is what's funny." He put his hand to Hunter's head and sent a current of electricity through it from the generator in his wrist. He didn't use a strong enough voltage to kill the Sentinel, only to keep him out for a few hours. Hunter sunk to the floor with a 'wuthump'. Gabriel chuckled and stood. He gathered a few things from around the apartment into his backpack, scribbled a hasty note for Trask and left.  
  
***  
  
Todd was back on the edge of the cliff with the fox girl. She lay still; weeping tears that when they fell to the hard stone pooled and formed a stream. She had been crying so long now that the stream had become a great river which cascaded down the side of the mesa as a waterfall.  
  
Only now did Todd approach her and crouch next to her. "Hey," he said reassuringly, "It'll be all right."  
  
She shook her head. "No, nothing will ever be all right." She stood and walked to the edge of the cliff beside the waterfall. "I'm sorry I wasn't a better guide for you."  
  
And he knew what she was going to do. He rushed toward her. "No you don't! I ain't letting you go now not after all the hell I went through to find you."  
  
"I'm sorry Todd, I just can't deal with it any more."  
  
"And if you jump where'll that leave me? How am I supposed to get off this cliff. No, if you jump, so do I."  
  
The fox turned girl looked at him. "But I'm only a girl.."  
  
"And? You think I hate you because of that?"  
  
"But oh I 'm just so scared."  
  
"I'll protect you. I'll never leave."  
  
She smiled and moved to run into his arms. But she slipped on the wet rock and pitched backward off the cliff.  
  
"Noooo!" He dove forward reaching out his arm to grab her.  
  
And woke  
  
with a startled anguished cry and sat bolt upright in bed, body covered in terror sweat. He was panting heavily. He held his hand to his chest and tried to slow his breathing. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a slow deep breath. He remember the full dream now in sharp, horrifying detail; all three parts. And he knew what it meant. He felt that they were no ordinary nightmares either. He just had a feeling that somehow all of it was very real, no time to stop and wonder when he had started having precognitive dreams or why. He leapt out of bed, barely taking the time to pull his old worn pair of jeans on over his boxers and not bothering with a shirt. There was no time. He had to make sure Ebony was alright. A very quick glance at the clock revealed that it was past eight o' clock. Late for school why had no one woken him up? He must have forgotten to set his alarm. No time to worry about that, Ebony probably wasn't in school anyway.  
  
He dashed out the door and down the hallway and into the medical facility. But the only person there was Doctor McCoy.  
  
"Yo, where's Ivory?" he asked astonished.  
  
Hank adjusted his glasses and sighed. "I'm sorry Todd, she died early this morning."  
  
"Then where's Ebony?"  
  
"I haven't seen her since then I'm afraid, she said she was going to her room to take care of something."  
  
This gave Todd a feeling of despair that was justified when he dashed to her room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He threw open the door, afraid of what he would see. However, there was no one in the room.  
  
But there was something on the bed, a note pinned to her pillow, with only two lines.  
  
Gone for revenge. Be back soon.  
  
Ebony  
  
***  
  
Trask knocked on the door there was no answer. That was odd. Odd was bad. He took his keys and unlocked the door. The view that he got really surprised him. His top Sentinel, Hunter was sprawled unconscious on the floor with a piece of paper taped to his forehead. He walked over sternly and ripped the piece of paper off his head.  
  
Gone Fishin'  
  
Love,  
  
Gabriel  
  
~  
  
Hehe. I love keeping you all in suspense. We've finally gotten to the point of the story that I really want to write so the chapters should come faster. See you soon. Mwa. 


	24. Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: I apologize to anyone who was annoyed by last chapter's cliffhanger, they annoy me too but they're too good a literary device not to use. Um, this one is kinda another one too. Sorry.  
  
Queenducky: Well, the reason they're not acting like robots (except Hunter) is because they're not, they're cyborgs. And Trask didn't do a very good job so Ivory's memory returned and Gabriel's too (though he couldn't care much less, he just wants to be his own person, not the one he used to be or a Sentinel.) I always go to school when I'm sick because then I can pretend to be sick when I just really need a day off. You guys aren't the only ones which strange names, my name's Greer. Woo, it means 'watcher'. I do watch a lot of cartoons. Can't wait to meet Celaya. How can she hate Evo Toad? He's so cute and misunderstood. I'm trying to make the DR one a leetle more like the comic one though (the science stuff yaknow). I will most certainly not ignore your reviews!  
  
Todd fan: Hehe, Bunny like cliffhanger. Hope the chapter didn't take too long for you.  
  
Capslock: I thought the two of you might be related! Ah, now I understand the piranha worms! Like my Dunky, (a doodle I draw all the time that looks like a cross between a duck and a donkey.) Yes, I felt bad but there was no way I could keep her alive.  
  
Kyo Kusanagi: female version: what a coincidence, I love a lot of anime boys too!  
  
Red Witch: Thank you. Ebony's fate is about to get much worse, unfortunately. I understand how it is to have so much to write and not any time to review. Darwinian Rhapsody is only less than one sixth over and I have a sequel planned afterwards!  
  
In this chapter, Ebony's luck only gets worse.  
  
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah Marvel. Blah blah blah mine. The chapter title's from the nursery rhyme. Y'know, 'sing a song of six pence a pocket full of rye.'  
  
Chapter 24.Four and Twenty Blackbirds  
  
In the realm of shadows Ebony darted near blindly through the streets of Bayville. It wasn't even eleven in the morning but to her the world was darkest midnight. There was no sorrow in her heart now, only pure, terrifying fury and a bloodlust that would not be quelled. She had abandoned caution; she had abandoned common sense. It didn't matter that she didn't know where to find the Sentinels or there maker. She would find them and nothing and no one would get in her way.  
  
She'd been running for hours now and still she did not tire. Not only did she expend less energy in shadow form but the amount of adrenaline pumping through her black blood would have been enough to keep a sloth running for a week. She had no notion of a plan, beyond what she'd already done. Ivory had died in her presence five hours before. After crying for what seemed like an eternity, she simply stopped, considered the situation and let her frenzied, wild side take over. She'd left a note, turned off Todd's alarm to make sure he wouldn't find it until everyone else was in school and left. She didn't want the Professor sending the X-Men after her. This was her vendetta; it would be her retribution.  
  
If anyone in the normal realm had noticed a detached shadow darting madly around the city Ebony didn't care. She was beyond caring if anyone saw her powers; in fact it gave her an idea. It was apparent at that point that finding the Sentinels would be hard, harder than she cared to make this. So she would make them come to her. They were supposed to terminate hostile mutant activity?  
  
Well, baby, she could be one hell of a hostile mutant.  
  
***  
  
Todd had wasted no time taking the note to the Professor. He wanted to believe that he could find Ebony on his own but he wasn't going to take that chance. He cared about her too much. The first thing of course, Xavier had to say when he saw him was  
  
"Todd, why aren't you in school?"  
  
He held up the note. "If she ain't in trouble now she's gonna be real soon."  
  
The professor regarded the note rather irritably. "I agree. Revenge," he shook his head, "she's much too impulsive, she needs to learn to control her emotions."  
  
"Her best friend just died. For the second time," Toad reminded him a little sulkily. He shouldn't be jealous of her friendship but.  
  
"And I understand but still it's no excuse. But what we need to do now is find her. I will use Cerebro to-"  
  
"Don' think that'll be necessary Chuck," Wolverine said from the doorway.  
  
"Logan, what do you mean?"  
  
"Been watchin' the news. Think ya might find it interestin'."  
  
The Professor gave him a questioning glance but turned on the television.  
  
It was a live news feed. A café in the downtown area was ravaged and suffering more devastation by the minute at the hands of a tiny creature in black. The imp was hurling deadly black shards at anything she saw which shattered destructively on impact. The expression on her face was one of mad glee merged with rage. Not only was she causing severe property damage but had also mildly injured a few people before they had fled the scene. She had draped the entire midmorning city block in a cloak of shadow. On the television it looked like night.  
  
They joined the reporter mid sentence. "Being destroyed by an unknown and very violent mutant. It is believed to be one of the mutants involved in the Bayville mall attack. Several bystanders have been injured. The authorities are currently on their-."  
  
Ebony had oriented on the camera. She threw a shadow dagger at the camera, destroying it and they were forced to switch back to the studio.  
  
"Holy shit," Todd summarized.  
  
"Wolverine, Toad, come with me. I'm going to see if I can calm her down and sort this out."  
  
***  
  
Gabriel sensed heavy mutant activity. He knew he should stay away from it because Hunter or the drone Sentinels were likely to be there, but unfortunately curiosity was one of several feline aspects he possessed. He wouldn't feel the need to attack them because he hadn't been given orders to. He headed for it. When he got to the scene he stayed several buildings away and well hidden. He observed.  
  
What he saw amused him. The little mutant was wrecking the place. She was shouting at the top of her lungs that humans were scum and they could try to destroy her if they dared. Then three police cars showed up and they may have fooled the crowd but not Gabriel. It was a bunch of drones led by Hunter in police disguise. The little mutant realized this immediately.  
  
She laughed maniacally. "I've been waiting for you!" she grinned.  
  
"Hostile mutant will surrender or be terminated," one of the drones said flatly.  
  
"Just try it!!! Death before dishonor!" Ebony shouted wildly calling unformed shadow to her hands. "Teyandee!!!"  
  
Gabriel smiled and wondered briefly where she'd learned Japanese. That last word he knew was a sort of pre battle curse, like 'I will fight you!' with the implication of swearing.  
  
The drones had no problem with this, immediately opening fire. Ebony fought with what seemed to be a rage driven expertise, dodging crimson laser fire and returning with a raven barrage of her own. To any outside onlookers it seemed as though this mutant was taking on the Bayville police force. For a minute it looked as though she was winning, immediately she had taken three of the nine drones out of the fight. But it didn't last, their circle was ever tightening, their laser fire increasingly accurate, they didn't tire. Gabriel watched her get tagged on the leg the first time, avoiding a more damaging blow to the chest. Her pace was slowing, her shadows missed their marks and it seemed harder for her to create them. A shot to the back, trying to catch one of them off guard knocked her off balance, a swift physical blow to the head brought her down to unconsciousness.  
  
Hunter walked over and picked to mutant up by the wrists. He hadn't soiled his hands in battle but would have if all the drones had been taken out. He slung her dead weight over his shoulder and nodded to the remaining drones. They would take care of the fallen and handle the press. Hunter took her, got into one of the cars and drove off. Gabriel knew where he was going.  
  
The renegade Sentinel felt a good many things at once. For one he was impressed at how many drones the girl had taken. They were no easy targets and from what he knew she hadn't even brought down one the first time. For another thing he wondered what had driven the creature to such an act of destruction. She had seemed in school a sweet little thing and Pietro had described her as 'perky' and 'harmless'. He also felt himself something of a coward for not having helped the girl against such odds; especially since he knew the fate in store for her. But how could he with Hunter there? Better to retain his freedom at her expense, wasn't it?  
  
After only a moment all the Sentinels were gone, leaving only wreckage and another press crew arriving. The whole ordeal had only taken several minutes. Gabriel was about to turn and leave when he saw one more car pull up and three people get out of it. Against his better judgment he followed a whim.  
  
***  
  
"She ain't here," Toad said despairingly. "The police musta gotten her."  
  
"Not police," someone said behind him. "Sentinels."  
  
The Toad whirled around and suddenly his saffron eyes burned red. He grabbed the cyborg by the shoulders and threw him against the side of the car, holding him there.  
  
"Where is she ya tin Frankenstein?!" he snarled threateningly. "Tell me what you've done with her or I'll!" He left the threat open.  
  
Gabriel made no move to escape, but smiled cheerfully. "I haven't done anything to her. But I can tell you where she is. But I'd prefer not to be man handled."  
  
Toad looked over to the Professor.  
  
"Put him down Toad."  
  
Wolverine nodded and popped his claws to reassure the boy. Toad let go of him rather more violently than was strictly necessary.  
  
"Well?" he demanded.  
  
"Yes, please tell us what you know," the professor asked reasonably.  
  
"It's a warehouse down near the docks, number eight. That's Trask's base. He makes the Sentinels and all his other experiments there. You'll need more than just the three of you if you even hope to get her out of there."  
  
"What does he want her for?" the amphibian mutant glared, not trusting the plum-eyed cyborg.  
  
"He has a process that that he wishes to test. To suppress mutant powers, make them in effect human."  
  
Toad nearly stumbled backwards in surprise and fear. In his dream the ravens had stolen the fox and made her a human, and then.  
  
"That is if it works," Gabriel added.  
  
"If it doesn't?" he growled.  
  
"How should I know?" Gabriel shrugged. "It could do anything. Nothing, enhance her powers, change them, I can't guarantee it won't kill her."  
  
"Why you," he moved against the boy.  
  
"Toad," the Professor warned, and he halted. Then Xavier addressed Gabriel. "Why are you telling us this? Aren't you a Sentinel?"  
  
He smiled mischievously. "I do what I want. Trask can go screw himself. Y'see, he forgot to install any kind of fail-safe. As long as I don't get close enough for him to give me a direct order I can do whatever I want."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Can I ask what happened to Arachne? Just out of curiosity."  
  
Toad averted his eyes. "She was a mutant, with healing ability. She remembered who she was, but it killed her, because of the implants. She was Ebony's best friend."  
  
Gabriel nodded. That explained the girl's violent behavior. "I can truly say I am sorry to hear that."  
  
Toad had one final question. "What about the last one a' you, he grow a personality too?"  
  
"Hunter? Nah, he's 'perfect'. A perfect bastard. He's the one that took your little pretty. Gimme half a chance and I'd slag him but."  
  
For the first time in several hours Toad grinned, a perverse, toothy expression. "Consider it done."  
  
"Well, then I'll be going. Good luck to you, Todd Tolensky, isn't it?"  
  
He nodded. "Same to you, Gabriel.Archer?"  
  
The blonde shook his head. "Nah, A.R.H.C.E.R.'s an acronym. You can call me, Gabriel Freewing." He gave a careless salute and headed down the street.  
  
"Now what Charley?" Wolverine inquired.  
  
"Now we get the X-Men out of school and see about this 'Trask'."  
  
***  
  
When Ebony awoke she was no where she recognized. She was sprawled on the floor on a glass and metal case perhaps four feet in diameter and ten feet tall. There were incisions in her shoulders and thighs with tubes stuck into them which fed out of the case into the darkness around her. All around her was blackness. She reached up to touch one of the slender tubes, maybe pull it out.  
  
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," a harsh voice said. "It would be, shall we say, a bad thing for you."  
  
"Who the hell are you, and where am I?" she demanded.  
  
The room lightened a bit and she wished it hadn't. All around her was what seemed like standard mad scientist equipment. Machines and computers, beakers and the mad man himself. He was tall and gaunt with swept back, graying brown hair and flashing rectangular glasses. "My name is Bolivar Trask. You, my dear, are in my laboratory. You are very lucky, you're going to be the first I test my cure on."  
  
"Cure, What for?" she spat, knowing what his answer would be.  
  
"Your disease of course, mutantcy. You'll thank me later. Not that you have a choice."  
  
"You're screwed up, you know that? You should meet my mother, you'd get along."  
  
"Angela? We've spoken. I got your files from her. Enchanting woman but she would so like to have her daughter back. You want to be with your family don't you?"  
  
"Don't make me puke. I don't know why I should be worried anyway, you can't even make cyborgs right."  
  
" Is that so?"  
  
"Yeah, ya know your Sentinel Arachne? She got her memory back; do you want to know why? Because she was a mutant. And your cyber implants killed her. Does that make you happy? Are you satisfied?"  
  
"You can hardly blame me, when I found her she was already dead."  
  
Ebony just glared. "I've had just about enough of you doctor Hojo."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "My name's Trask."  
  
"Video game reference. Final Fantasy seven A sick scientist just like you, you'd get along great. Of course he was trying to create a race of gods, not destroy one. But you wouldn't know that because the only think you do for fun is cut open small animals."  
  
"Mutants are hardly a race of gods."  
  
"That's what you think. I'm tired of this, I'm leaving." She stood up and summoned a large shadow mallet; she got ready to smash the glass.  
  
"Your behavior less than suitable. I'm afraid I'll have to start the experiment now." He pressed a button and the tank quickly filled with a thick blue liquid. Ebony was floating; she closed her eyes and held her breath, and kicked wildly trying to break the glass.  
  
She passed into unconsciousness before she could do anything.  
  
~  
  
Hehe, cliffhanger. You have to wait until I write the next chapter. ^.^ No, this isn't the last we'll see of Gabriel. And yes, there is a good reason for Ebony to speak Japanese, I'm just not telling you what it is yet. 


	25. The Birds Began to Sing

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: You're not going to believe why this took so long. I'll tell you after the chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm flattered.  
  
Chapter 25.The Birds Began to Sing  
  
The battle was hard. The lab turned out to have been beneath the old warehouse, guarded by Sentinels and similar ilk. Cyclops, Jean, Shadow Cat, Spyke, Wolverine, Avalanche and Toad had fought their way through the defenses to an intersection of four corridors. Presumably one of them would lead to the main lab. To Trask, to Ebony, to Hunter or who knew what else.  
  
"Time to fan out team," Scott said. "Jean and I will take the left most corridor, Spyke, Shadow Cat, you take the one next to that. Wolverine, would you take the next one? Toad and Avalanche can search the left one."  
  
The team voiced its agreement. Toad nodded, he hadn't spoken for almost and hour. His eyes were a bloodshot red and his mouth a hard, determined line. He skulked after Lance keeping aware of any danger that might have been.  
  
Avalanche seemed unnerved by Toad's unnatural silence. He kept looking back as though to make sure he was really still there, worry in his eyes. But the lithe boy was beyond noticing. There was only one thing that permeated the reaches of his consciousness, Ebony. He would find her; he would rescue her. Two simple facts, these. It was not too late, there were not too many of them and they were certainly not too strong. It didn't even matter that the Professor had all but forced him to wear the disgusting green and black jester costume. No tights, no fights he had muttered to himself earlier.  
  
But now no witty banter came to mind; there was nothing funny or even morbidly humorous that he could find in the situation. He concentrated on passing through the corridor as quickly as possible in the manner that was most natural and expedient to him; in leaps and bounds. It was tensely silent, not since the fray with six or seven Sentinel 'bots to gain entrance to the lab had they been attacked. It was eerie.  
  
They came to another diverging of ways. Lance turned to his teammate.  
  
"Should we split up?"  
  
But the Toad was already far-gone down his own path, the one to the right and darker of the two presented. Avalanche shrugged it off, albeit reluctantly, and headed down the passage left to him.  
  
Toad had no sooner gone twenty meters down the metal encased corridor than an alarm began to sound. Had he set it off? He didn't know, but he knew that instantly rapid-fire laser cannons slid out from all angles and all the way down the passage. And they all of course oriented themselves on their one and only target. Fired.  
  
And Toad did his thing. He continued down the corridor with much more intensity and velocity now, ricocheting off walls floor and ceiling, a somersault here, a back flip there, evading expertly each and every laser bolt with all the grace and fluidity of a mad super ball.  
  
Impossibly powerful legs pushed off easily from any which way as though there was no such thing as gravity. Wide spread palms propelled him forward with form that would have made Olympic gymnasts sick with envy. For all intents and purposes Toad flew, no sooner did feet or hands meet purchase when off they sprang carrying the slender amphibian with seeming effortlessness. Not once did a laser bolt meet its target.  
  
Now he was coming towards the end of the passage where a door of some metal waited, closed. Toad appraised it mid leap, landed for a split second on his hands and leapt towards it, feet first in a sort of double-footed flying kick.  
  
And the door crashed to the floor with him atop it, landing in a ready for action, muscles coiled tighter than springs battle crouch. Toad's head whipped around, looking for danger, but the lasers, which could no longer track him, settled back into their chambers, and in the dark room in which he had landed, nothing moved.  
  
Toad now scanned the room more thoroughly, his eyes growing quickly accustomed to the near total darkness. Aside from the passage behind him the only illumination was a gray sort of light from one corner which proved the lab to be just that. It looked like something out of a Frankenstein movie, a high budget one. All around cloaked in shadow were mysterious and horrible devices and tables, perversions of the noble scientific art to be sure. Drills, monitors, tables with shackles, pointy objects of any description and things much more complex and hard to explain. There wasn't a device in the room that didn't have wires of at least six different colors protruding from it.  
  
He studied the abandoned laboratory in detached disgust realizing that this was indeed a Frankenstein's work shop for it must have been between these walls that the Sentinels were created.  
  
It didn't take him long after his evaluation of the room to be drawn to find what was hidden in the far corner underneath the one ghastly charcoal light. He approached it tentatively peering intently at the spot as he closed in but keeping his other senses aware for danger. What he saw bathed under the sickly illumination was a tube of glass metal and wiring and he was nearly upon in when he realized what it contained.  
  
A tiny, delicate and pale figure lay huddled in one corner, if a circular tube could be said to have corners. Locks of raven hair nearly as long as the form itself clung wetly to the otherwise unconcealed creature.  
  
"Ebony!" Todd exclaimed at once, his first utterance in an eternity. He surged forward and threw open the hatch of the glass chamber, sprawling on his knees before it.  
  
Slowly, feebly the ravaged elfin figure stirred, opening halfway glassy, tired looking black eyes. She opened blanched lips. "F-froggy?"  
  
Now he clambered in to her crouching beside her wounded form. "S'me Eb'ny." He smiled weakly. "I came ta rescue you .The X-Men're here too. They're gonna trash this place for ya." He gave a pale imitation of his impish grin.  
  
She tried to smile but failed managing only a grimace of what looked like quite a bit of pain. "I-I don't." she began.  
  
"Shh, don' bother. We can talk later y'know. Right now 'm just gonna get ya outta here yo." He looked at her ruined little body. "Ya can't walk can ya?"  
  
She shook her head weakly. "S.sorry."  
  
"Don' worry 'bout it yo. I'll carry you," he offered gallantly. After all, she couldn't possibly weigh a significant amount. "Er, where are your clothes?"  
  
She blushed, her cheeks tuning pink even as his did the same. "Gone," she said, in an ashamed sort of voice.  
  
"Don' worry 'bout it," he insisted, but he wondered at the tone in her voice. "I guess you aren't up to making any new ones." he said rather lamely, remembering her power.  
  
She failed to choke back sob, tears filling her eyes. "I c-can't." she told him in a terrified whisper.  
  
He picked her up then, holding her maiden style in his lanky arms, trying to keep his eyes from straying off her tear-covered face and onto her naked form. He stood.  
  
"S'okay. Y'gotta be exhausted and hurt an' too tired ta even make shadow puppets an' an' that guy's gonna pay for whatever he did ta ya." He finished the sentence in a growl now noticing the bloody slits in her shoulder blades.  
  
"You don't under- he, he." but try as she might she couldn't form the words between the racking, terrified sobs escaping her throat.  
  
But she didn't need to as Todd's eyes fell back on the bloody gashes and found their significance. For the life ether that stained her shoulders and upper chest, far from being raven black, was a glistening, bloody crimson.  
  
"No," he said in disbelief, just as Ebony managed to convey her thoughts.  
  
"Took them. He t-took my powers. I'm h-human," she sobbed and clung desperately closer to Todd's chest once again soaking his garment with tears.  
  
His hands being occupied with holding her he nuzzled the top of her head with his face even as he turned to leave the lab. Crossing the room to the broken door holding the trembling girl he wondered how he was going to get past the lasers. But he needn't have worried.  
  
Racing down the hall was Shadow Cat and Spyke who was taking out all the lasers as he ran.  
  
"C'mon Toad, we gotta get outta here the whole place is about to blow!" he announced.  
  
"What happened yo?" he asked darting towards them as quickly as he dared with his injured sweetheart clinging to him.  
  
"Like everybody else made it to this one central room and we took out a bunch of Sentinels. Then the Scientist guy activated some self-destruct thing and tried to escape Scott and Jean went after him but I like donno what happened to them." Kitty's eyes fell on Ebony, "Is she going to be okay?" she asked with concern as they fled back out of the passage.  
  
"Donno. What happened ta Hunter?"  
  
"He and a bunch of other normal Sentinels got away," Spyke said as they passed the place where Toad and Avalanche had split. A moment later they were at the first divergence and then the egress to the outside.  
  
The smell of the docks greeted them as they burst forth into the open air and they met the other X-men some hundred more meters away at the X jet. They scrambled into the plane and were fastening in and taking off just as the entire underground complex blew. All of the X-Men had gotten out and aboard.  
  
Looking out the window of the jet, which still made Toad very uneasy, and still holding on to the trembling Ebony he watched the explosion. Maybe, just maybe there'd be no more sentinels?  
  
"Yo Summers," he demanded, "You catch Trask?"  
  
"He got past us, we don't know where he went. He might still have been in the building."  
  
"What about Hunter?"  
  
Cyclops sighed. "He definitely got away, with a whole bunch of other Sentinels."  
  
"Greeeeeat." So there was at least one of 'em left. Could he make more?  
  
Wolverine stalked over to him. "How's the midget?" he growled affectionately.  
  
"Hurt," Todd replied. "Trask did somethin' to her. Had her in some tube. Her powers, I think they're gone." He pointed to her wounds.  
  
"You talk kid?" Logan asked her.  
  
"Don' wanna," she whispered hoarsely into Todd's chest.  
  
The man regarded her; "We'll be back at the mansion in just a sec and we'll take her to the Doc and the Prof as soon as we get in. Until then you just keep her close."  
  
He nodded solemnly, doing anything else hadn't even crossed his mind.  
  
~  
  
Again, sorry this chapter took so long. The first week was because I was banned from the computer. Then I had a bit of a crisis in my own usually mundane life just a little while ago.  
  
I woke up one morning in excruciating pain and passed out, three times in succession, falling to the floor each time I tried to stand. My mom called the ambulance and when they got there it turned out my blood pressure was eighty over forty. (Too low to survive for very long.) They drip fed salt water right into my veins to bring the pressure back up as they rushed me too the hospital. Eight emergency room hours, two phone calls to my hysterical best friend, three bags of salt water, two vials of my blood, a urine sample, and quite a few fears about the fact that I was below room temperature later I discovered what was wrong.  
  
Near fatal dehydration. I was dehydrated because I drank too little water, too much caffeine, and took an allergy medicine that dried out my system. The pain was because my system was trying to suck the moisture out of my blood. The fainting was because I didn't have enough blood to get to my brain. So I spent a week off of school recuperating. Then found out I had strep throat, whoops there's another few days in bed.  
  
The next time I was allowed to go to school it was test week, no time for fan fic there. Five days ago summer vacation started and I definitely needed to rest.  
  
Today is the first time in a while I've felt much like writing. I hope it won't happen again.  
  
On a completely unrelated note I did get to see Titan AE for the first time two days ago. I have fallen madly in love with Preed. Does anyone else have this problem? 


	26. Stolen Gift

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: And so I have returned, the next few chapters are going to be the climax of Darwinian Rhapsody part one. This chapter marks the beginning of a new chapter of Ebony's life, as well as the return of Bluegart. Speaking of which if Kitty seems a bit out of character it's because she's distorted by Kurt perceiving reality as a detective movie.  
  
Disclaimer: The aliens told me this story when they took me in their ship.  
  
Chapter 26.Stolen Gift  
  
They had laid her in the medical lab, in the same cot that Remy had occupied not so many days before. The Professor and Mr. McCoy spoke in low tones and Todd sat by her. Logan hovered in the doorway keeping curious visitors away. Still Ebony did not speak.  
  
She was in pain, everywhere in her body, but especially at the incisions in her shoulders and thighs, though the furry doctor had bandaged them. She knew that her powers were gone and it was that fact that kept her silent. She was afraid that she was just a human now, nothing special, worse than dead. She was afraid that if her powers didn't return that the Professor would make her leave and go back home. After all, the Institute was for mutants only. She didn't want to leave, or go home. And so she clung to Todd, whose clothing was only just now beginning to dry from her tears.  
  
McCoy had taken a blood sample, and a few other tests without her protest, he was busy analyzing them. Xavier had attempted several times to get her to speak, and now he tried again.  
  
"I realize how much this is hurting you Ebony," he said gently, his voice grave.  
  
She looked up at him for a moment, her stare icy, then she looked away again, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"But I don't really think that becoming an elective mute is going to help you very much. Especially, since there may be something you can tell us might be able to help."  
  
She looked up at the round, olive face of the boy who comforted her. He nodded. "Please, Ebby?"  
  
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I don't know," she half whispered, her voice shaking. "He had me.unconscious. There were tubes.here.and here," she stroked the wounds on her thighs and shoulders gingerly. "He flooded the glass chamber I was in with some kind of liquid and I blacked out again. I don't know what else he did, but I woke up and. and." she bit her lip hard to keep from crying again. But it didn't work and now her lower lip was bleeding, deep red blood which doubled her sobs as she wiped it away. "Black," she whimpered brokenly, "my blood's s'posta be black."  
  
"Shh," Todd said, nuzzling her, "its okay."  
  
"No.it's not," she denied.  
  
"No," Xavier said frowning. "But if anything can be done Dr. McCoy, and if not him, there are others."  
  
"I don't want to go back to Michigan. You met my mother, you must have.and," she looked up at Todd.  
  
"Nobody's gonna make ya go back there, right?" he stared down Professor Xavier.  
  
"Of course not." The Professor said rather more sharply than he'd intended. His headache had become steadily worse over the past days and his dreams had become haunted with eerie detached images. It was bringing his temper up short.  
  
Doctor McCoy walked back into the room, his face uncharacteristically grim.  
  
"Is there anything you can tell us Hank?" the Professor asked.  
  
"Unfortunately yes Professor." He looked at Ebony, "I'm not going to insult you by hiding my test results from you." This earned him a somewhat stern look from Xavier but he continued anyway. "Trask managed to block your mutant abilities by constructing some kind of cellular shield around your DNA. I have no idea how he did this yet but that isn't the worst news."  
  
Ebony looked up at him. "I'm dying, aren't I? I can feel it.my body falling apart around me."  
  
"Yes, if there can be no cure found you have about two months to live."  
  
".Just like Ivory," she sighed resignedly.  
  
"No," Todd said firmly, "I am not going to let you die; I know there's a way to stop it." He looked at Xavier recalling his nightly premonitions. "Professor, I think I ought to tell you, I've been having precognitive dreams."  
  
"Is that so, Todd? So you knew that this was going to happen."  
  
"Well, sorta. They're more like prophecy than straight premonitions yo, all symbolism an' junk. It took me some time to figure out what it meant."  
  
The Professor furrowed his brow; this was a strange power for the boy to be developing. Could it have something to do with the presence that was haunting Xavier himself? "Could you explain this further Todd and how long they've been going on? It could be important."  
  
Todd hesitantly told the room about his dreams.  
  
Xavier nodded. The instance did correspond with his own psychic discomforts. "That's very interesting Todd, and it does seem to have bearing on the current circumstances. Not the least remarkable is the fact that you seem to be picking up on some psychic disturbance that both I and Jean have noticed."  
  
"But I'm not a psychic," Todd protested.  
  
"That is why it's remarkable."  
  
Ebony had remained silent again during the entire conversation. She looked at Todd, and then at the Professor and then at Doctor McCoy. "You're going to be trying to find a way to save my life and get my powers back, right?"  
  
Hank nodded, "Of course."  
"And you're going to be figuring out why the psychic vibes are so bad that even Toddy's picking them up, yes?"  
  
Xavier also nodded.  
  
"Then why don't you let me alone to think for a while? I'm not going to do any more stupid things today, I promise." She smiled weakly.  
  
"If that is what you'd like." The tow elder mutants left the room.  
  
"What about me Ebby?"  
  
"If you don't mind. I'd kind of like you to stay here. I'm tired but.I don't want to be alone."  
  
Todd ran a hand through her long, limp hair. "You aren't going to die Ebony. I won't let you."  
  
"I know, but."  
  
"And Doctor McCoy will find a way to get your powers back."  
  
"But.what if I don't?"  
  
"No what ifs, little pretty." He smirked. "That was some really heavy damage you did to that café this morning."  
  
"Yeah, I kinda snapped. That, well, it doesn't happen often but.The last time it happened was right after Ivory.died, the, eh, first time. I left it out of my story because, well, it's not exactly sane. I just let my emotions take control, threw desks around the class room, threatened teachers, put my foot through the chalkboard. I. after I came to my senses I promised myself that I'd never let my rage drive me to madness. Again. But then." She choked back a sob.  
  
He put his arms around her shoulders. "Shh, don' cry yo. It'll be okay. Everybody gets angry sometimes."  
  
"But I hurt people out there. I was no better than them."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The humans, the Sentinels, anyone. Watakshi wa rakugosha no yoni henshu desu." She spoke in Japanese.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She grimaced bitterly. "I said that I was a failure as a mutant. I taught myself Japanese during those interminably long years as a loner."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She shrugged, "Something to do I suppose. And I liked anime. It's not really useful but I like it better than English, really, it's prettier."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'm sorry Todd, I really need to lie down, I'm so tired. You can go if you want."  
  
"Nah, I'll stay. I ain't gonna leave ya alone again." He paused. "You're not a failure, Ebony."  
  
***  
  
I was insulted not to have been included in the mission this morning, and when I got back to headquarters that afternoon nobody who hadn't gone knew just what was going on. I took it upon myself once again to ferret out the facts, another case for Kurt Wagner, Private Eye.  
  
I pulled on my hat and summoned my doll to the office to see if she had any idea what was shakin' in this dingy little town.  
  
"I like promised the Professor I wouldn't talk about it, Kurt," Ms. Pryde said leaning over my desk.  
  
"You know I can keep a secret, doll face," I told her.  
  
"I donno, but.I could tell you if you'd do me a little favor."  
  
"Name it sweetheart," I hate to admit it, I'm a suck for a dame.  
  
"I want you to find out what's wrong with Ebony."  
  
"I told you, babe, the minx is lovesick." I grimaced. I took out my cigarette and took a drag. [A/N: The return of the straw!]  
  
"Not that. Listen gumshoe," she said, "You know her buddy Ivory, the Sentinel? She died this morning and Ebony she went off the deep end. The Professor found her demolishing some café, but the Sentinels found her first, took her to some underground HQ. That's where we came in. so he pulls us out of school and sends us on the rescue mission."  
  
I nodded. "This much I already knew. So what happened then?"  
  
"I was getting to that Kurt. We were all fighting with the Sentinels, except for the Toad, he was off looking for Ebony. But then Trask came on this big screen and announced that he was going to self destruct the place."  
  
"Typical," I said, "continue, Ms. Pryde."  
  
"So Scott was orchestrating the get away and he sent me and Evan to find the love birds. We found them alright, in a lab just off a hallway full of deadly laser. The girl was in pretty bad shape, she had to be carried and we got out just before the place blew sky high. That's all I know, they've got her in the medical ward right now and they aren't letting anybody in. I was wondering if you could, you know."  
  
"Sure thing sweetheart, anything for a pretty face." I took a drag off my cigarette, thoughtfully.  
  
Kitty smirked. I wonder what she thought was so funny?  
  
"Be back in a minute, doll." Every detective has his own set of special skills; I used mine and was in the medical ward almost immediately.  
  
The dame was a mess, come to think of it so was the joe sitting by her. She was asleep, but he wasn't.  
" What d'ya want?" the Toad demanded, "Get outa here."  
  
I lifted my hat a little. "'Afternoon, amigo. I promise I'll leave just as soon as you give me the skinny on the dame there."  
  
"I ain't tellin' ya nothin', Wagner, now get outa my face before you wake Ebony up."  
" Come on, you can tell me." I gave him a reassuring grin.  
  
"Get out, now," he growled.  
  
But the dame was opening her eyes. "You may as well tell him," she closed her eyes again and pulled the covers over her head.  
  
The tough guy glared at me. "Some nutso doctor zapped her of her powers and she's dyin' too. Happy, 'detective'?" he sneered.  
  
"Thanks bunches Tolensky," I grinned and made a hasty exit.  
  
I sat at my chair with my feet on the desk; Ms. Pryde was waiting eagerly for my return. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"Doll face, I am a professional."  
  
"Right. Just tell me what you got."  
  
"Trufire's in deep, Trask nixed her powers and now she's on death's doorstep."  
  
Kitty gasped. "That's horrible."  
  
"I'm sure they'll find a cure for it, babe," I hate to make her upset. "Hey, you remember last time we were on a case together?"  
  
"Yeah, what about it, detective?"  
  
"You owe me a rain check on that drink, Ms. Pryde, and I'd like to call it in. That is if you don't have anything better to do?"  
  
"Sure, but do me a favor, Wagner, and ditch the cigarette."  
  
***  
  
It was late at night now and Todd had fallen asleep in the chair next to Ebony. He was dreaming again.  
  
Ebony was falling he reached out to catch her.  
  
He caught her hand.  
  
"Todd!"  
  
"I've got you." He pulled her up back onto the cliff.  
  
But then the ravens came back, and this time they started attacking him.  
  
He was bleeding, he was going to die. The largest raven swooped, coming in for a final attack. He couldn't dodge it, couldn't move.  
  
"No!" She leapt in front of him.  
  
Todd woke with a start. He looked over to make sure that Ebony was still alright. She was, for now.  
  
***  
  
In his private chambers Charles Xavier also slept fitfully. Detached images flashed through his dreamscape. A voice called to him.  
  
".419.419.419.419."  
  
"Who are you?" Xavier called. "What do you want from me?"  
  
".help..."  
  
"How can I help you?"  
  
"419.419.419."  
  
~  
  
Well that's certainly spooky, isn't it? Just what to you think's going on here? Will Ebony get her powers back? More importantly, will she survive? Why is Todd having prophetic nightmares? Has the author lost her mind entirely? Will she kill off her main character? Watch out for chapter 27! 


	27. Hold Me

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Hello, friends all. (Anyone who's still reading at this point is officially my friend, after all.) The first order of business is of course, reviews, or rather the answers there to.  
  
Kyo Kusanagi: female version: Unfortunately I can't IM you because my Dad won't let us use instant messaging and has disabled chat from our computer. I would however like to e-mail back and forth if that would be satisfactory. (I have so few friends, *sniff* like Toddy) I'm sorry the chapter took so long, but I explained about that and, well, I'm back now.  
  
Kitty-kat: Glad you like it, here's more.  
  
Pe-chan: Sorry it took so long. I won't die if I've got any say in the matter.  
  
Todd fan: I have returned! (Triumphantly I might add!) *Hug*  
  
Queenducky: Are you kidding, this story won't die!! I've had it around since two months after Evo started and I have plans for part two and three and a sequel. The question for you is .will Ebony be in them? Not tellin'.  
  
Foxglove33: Aye, poor me. *hug* I'm writtin' as fast as I can for ya sweetie. Glad to know somebody else has a thing for the sneaky Akrennian. Mm, Titan AE, listening to soundtrack right now.  
  
Redrose2310: well Professor X won't kick her out, largely because he doesn't want to seem cruel to the other students, but suicide? Well, she's tried it before.*sigh* poor thing.  
  
Starlightz6: Yes, water is our friend, I've got a glass by me just now. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Remy and Rogue are my favorite couple in the multiverse! Unfortunately they're only a side story in Part one of DR, and barely in part two at all, but they're the main focus in part three. (Which will have several pleasant surprises in it, heh) We're nearing the end of part one, and part two isn't near as long as one, so they'll have their time to shine. In the mean time you'll have to be sated with romantic angst of the Todd/Ebony variety. Almost as good, (If I do say so myself) but with a different problem at the moment!  
  
Akasha: *hug* Thanks Aka-chan! How about hounding me with e-mail or reviews instead? I'm sooo lonely; all my non-net friends are on vacation.  
  
Well, that's all I've got for now, Dad won't let me check the reviews for Stolen Gift' yet. He is soooo unreasonable some times. (Read: every day) just this morning he was ripping his hair out (Figuratively speaking, since he's bald) because he thought this web page was some how remembering where he went even though he has our computer set to not accept cookies. I took a look at the problem and patiently explained to him that the Site was not remembering where he went, the links alternated colors (The top one red, then the next violet, then red etc.) The links were not different colors because he'd clicked on them, it was a coincidence. Sheesh.  
  
This is a rather melancholy chapter unfortunately, but they seem to be pulling that way. It's necessary though, for plot purposes. It's kind of hard to write a cheerful chapter when your leading lady's dying of a horrible disease. It wouldn't be very Dramatic anywise, no impact at all.  
  
As a side note, I just remembered this and should have bragged earlier, but I was, y'know, dyin' an' stuff. I just felt that you should know that after years of barely passing (and sometimes failing outright) in French class through sheer lack of care, not only did I pass the Regents test (a test written and required by New York state) I passed with a 91. It seems that I really do know the language. Heh, that and I had Remy with me, whispering the answers in the back of my head. Does having an other dimensional hotty with you really count as cheating?  
  
Disclaimer: The poem at the end of the chapter is my own, I wrote depressing poetry long before fanfiction. This one's specifically written for Ebony though, it's got the same title as the chapter.  
  
Chapter 27.Hold Me  
  
It had been two weeks. Todd didn't go to school; he sat by Ebony as she slowly worsened. When he had originally rescued her, (some rescue, he thought ruefully) he had been amazed by the color in her cheeks. Now he watched that color slowly drain away and the pounds fall from her already slender frame. He could see her ribs and the bones of her wrists through skin that was as pale as chalk. He knew though that her colorlessness was no sign that her powers were returning, she was dying. If only he had gotten there sooner! If Trask were alive Todd would, well; he didn't know exactlty what but he'd take steps to personally correct that oversight!  
  
It was February ninth, or so Doctor McCoy had told him that morning when he's asked, and it had been raining last time he'd looked out the window, a cold, miserable, rain that accented the mood in the medical ward of the Institute. Todd did his best to comfort Ebony but the elfin girl refused to be consoled and sank daily lower into the pits of depression.  
  
He looked at her form, which was swift becoming gaunt. Her eyes were sunken, with great dark circles beneath then. When she had them open they were a crisp, unnatural, sky blue. But she seemed to be sleeping now and it had been hours since Todd had moved from a sitting position.  
  
He stood up, just to stretch his poor, cramping legs. His left foot was asleep; he shook it, grimacing, until the feeling came back. He hopped across the room to the door to McCoy's lab. The mutant doctor was spending almost every waking hour there these days, trying to find a cure for Ebony. Xavier, however, while not saying anything to the effect, gave Todd the distinct impression that he didn't think there was a cure, and that he didn't really care. The rest of the school knew what was wrong with Ebony now, they'd been told shortly after the seriousness of her condition had been realized. At first everyone had started coming to wish her well and cheer her up. Most of them had stopped after realizing how futile it was.  
  
Todd rapped softly on the Beast's door.  
  
"Come in,"  
  
He did so.  
  
"Ah. Hello, lad. How's Ebony doing this afternoon?" The question was largely a pleasantry; they both knew her condition.  
  
He shrugged. "She's sleepin' right now. Didja find anything today, doc?" Todd had been in his lab frequently in the past weeks and the two got along well enough.  
  
"You know I think I may have, come here and take a look." He waved the boy over.  
  
Todd peeped into the microscope, eyeing the now familiar sight of Ebony's locked up cells. The problem, McCoy had told him, was that the treatment Trask had used on Ebony had done some unique things to her cell membrane. The cell membrane, or semi-permeable membrane, was supposed to be just that, semi-permeable, to allow some things to enter or exit the cell and not others. Trask had changed it so that the membrane was a barrier to keep her mutant powers from being able to manifest. Unfortunately this change also kept certain necessary chemicals from being able to travel in and out of her cells readily. That was why she was dying.  
  
"I've seen this before," Todd sighed.  
  
"Yes, yes. Now look at this one." He replaced the slide with another.  
  
Todd gaped. While not being completely unrestricted, the chemicals were moving much more freely through these cells.  
  
Beast registered his astonishment. "Three days ago, I stopped, for a moment, trying to reverse what Trask did and instead I concentrated on trying to find a way to correct it. I wanted to balance the membrane by adding on instead of taking away. After all, you can't take any milk out of your hot cocoa, but you can add more chocolate."  
  
"An' it worked?"  
  
"Well, the cells are stabilizing, but, well, the stabilizing process doesn't get rid of the barrier on her powers, it cements it."  
  
"What are ya sayin' doc?" Todd asked, hoping he didn't mean what he thought he did.  
  
"If she's subjected to the new treatment she'll live, but she'll almost certainly never regain her powers." He adjusted his glasses.  
  
"Can't ya think of any way?"  
  
"Only one. A power surge to her system might break the barrier, something along the nature of a heart attack or a high voltage electric shock. But anything with the necessary power would probably kill her."  
  
"But maybe there's another way to stabilize her, one that'll get her powers back too."  
  
"I don't think so Todd, and we don't have much more time for research. I think my original estimate was optimistic. I don't think she'll last the week."  
  
He sighed. "I know."  
  
***  
  
Ebony wasn't asleep, really, but she knew that Todd needed to get up and walk a bit and he wouldn't leave her while she was awake. She lifted a hand and examined her bony, dying fingertips. Even that small movement was taxing. She was so tired and so weak. She couldn't have gotten out of bed even if she'd had the will to. She had given herself up for lost and that was probably accelerating her departure. That was fine with her. She knew that Doctor McCoy wasn't going to find a cure and the fewer days she had to spend alive as a human the better.  
  
Her whole body was a dull, meaningless ache. There was no pride, no confidence in her. She had never felt more vulnerable. She was nothing more than a tiny, gaunt, weak little girl. She had no more ability to defend herself than a thimble. Ebony hated being helpless, she'd fought against it her whole life, and now she had to succumb.  
  
Ah, well, she thought. It had been sweet while it lasted. Perhaps she would even meet Ivory, in whatever came next. But knowing the universe, there would be only oblivion. Fate never seemed to give her anything without taking it away just when it was beginning to make her happy. She ticked off the things that had ended this way in her mind. First, her life as a lone wolf, then Ivory, then suicide, then her freedom, and now her powers. She suspected that if she were to live she would eventually be kicked out of the X-mansion, and then some time after that lose Todd. That was just the pattern of her life, her destiny.  
  
She saw the door open. "Hello Froggy boy, hello doctor McCoy."  
  
"Yo pretty thing."  
  
Beast smiled. "And how are you feeling today, Ebony?"  
  
She smiled weakly. "Worse than yesterday of course."  
  
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that my dear, but I do have some good news, as well as unfortunately bad news."  
  
Todd sat on her bed and she laid her head in his lap. "Well then, lets hear it."  
  
"The good news is that I've found a way to stop your cells from deteriorating. The bad news is that if we use this solution you will most likely never regain your powers." Ebony closed her eyes; Todd put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I can't force a decision on you of course. But I don't think you'll have very long to make this particular choice. I'll be in my office if you need me." He left the two teenagers alone in the room.  
  
She looked up into his golden eyes. "I don't think I can do it."  
  
"But.you'll die."  
  
"I don't think I could live as just a human anymore." She paused. "But, would you still love me, if I were just.I know."  
  
"Of course I would, yo! How could you think sumthin' like that?" he drew her up closer to him.  
  
"But I'd just be ordinary."  
  
"No, you couldn't be ordinary. An' if you decide you're gonna kick I'll just have ta follow ya. You're the only person mutant or otherwise ever really liked me for who I was, regardless. I know I ain't much to look at."  
  
"I think you're very handsome," she protested.  
  
"See what I mean? There ain't nobody else who thinks that!"  
  
"If I, if I took it, then, would you promise not to leave me alone? Ever? Because I know I could live without you. Not without my powers not even with my powers I don't think." She sniffed and her eyes began to fill up with tears.  
  
"I promise. Never," he drew her up.  
  
Now she was sitting, resting her head on his chest and the tears began to spill.  
  
"Don't cry, pretty, ya got the Toad to protect ya, and now you're never gonna get rid of me." He lifted her chin up and kissed her.  
  
She wiped the tears off her face. "Come on, let's go get that cure. I don't think I can stand by myself though."  
  
"I'll carry you."  
  
"It's nothing more than a simple injection," Beast said, "It shouldn't hurt too much."  
  
Ebony bit her lip and held Todd close as the needle slid into her vein, taking away what she felt was the only thing that made her special. McCoy wiped her arm clean and put a bandage on it.  
  
Then she fell into Todd's arms and cried.  
  
Hold me close now  
  
I've forgotten what it's like to be alone,  
  
And I don't know if I can ever hold my own again.  
  
I'm so hurt and I'm so cold  
  
And I don't want to be alone anymore.  
  
I'm so spent I cant lay down,  
  
Please hold me in your arms  
  
As I lay dying.  
  
Now I'm broken  
  
They've taken everything from me.  
  
Please don't leave me,  
  
I've lost my way; it's going dark.  
  
You're the only one who knows  
  
You're the only one who cares.  
  
I'm in pain; my world's gone  
  
Please say you love me  
  
As I'm crying  
  
Here with you tonight.  
  
~  
  
Gee. That was depressing wasn't it? In the nest chapter Ebony's learning what it's like to be human again. It's the return of Gabriel and he's running into some old 'friends'. 


	28. Only Human

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Everyone's sending me sad reviews! *sniff* Well, that's what this part of the story is, sad.  
  
Todd fan: It would break his heart, wouldn't it? Good thing she found a cure. But keep reading she's not out of danger yet!  
  
Liquid mercury: Are you kidding?!Of course I can't kill off the main character!!!!!!!!! Not until I'm ready to stop with this fic and move on to another one, at least. I'll tell you the truth; I toyed with the idea for a while. Of letting her die and having Todd go out for revenge. But then I changed my mind. I do that fairly often. When I was first coming up with the idea for Darwinian Rhapsody I was originally going to have Ebony go live with the Brotherhood!  
  
P-Chan: Well, I haven't killed her off yet. Please spare your mouse though; I don't think it did anything. This poor dehydrated cripple is updating as fast as she can.  
  
Capslock: summer can be very busy. Glad to have you back!  
  
Lyra Silvertongue: Well, yet another fan I've brought to tears. Maybe it's time to start getting serious about those tissues. *hands her one* I come into fanfics at points like that fairly often, actually, so I know the feeling. People seem to say my fic kicks ass a lot. I like to think it does. I like chapter fourteen too. In all honesty though it was really some thing of a filler chapter, but for the sake of appearances we'll call it 'character building'. Plus I really needed to get the urge to write olde englishe out of my system! Actually, I do some of my best writing at three am.  
  
I would like to take the time now to say that I saw the movie ' Triple X' yesterday (a pre theatre release my mom won tickets to from the radio station) And all of you should Go see it!!! It is the best action move I have ever seen! It makes James Bond look like a prudey old lady!  
  
Okay, advertising aside. This chapter will mark the return of my personal favorite new character Gabriel. And I'm sure to everyone's great delight, Remy and Rogue.  
  
Disclaimer: You expect me to admit that the characters aren't mine?! *laughs in their faces*  
  
Chapter 28.Only Human  
  
It was Valentines Day, a Wednesday, and Ebony was back in school. All of her clothes had been made of shadow and had disappeared with her powers. So she had borrowed some of Rogue's less frequently worn garments, and they fit her very badly. She wore a huge, shapeless, forest green sweater and dark blue jeans rolled up at the ankles and belted until they stayed on her tiny waist.  
  
Her teachers noticed the change but mostly didn't comment the paramount thing in their minds was having her make up all the work for the two and a half weeks of school that she'd missed. Mrs. S-Z had asked her what was wrong and gotten a short, seemingly apathetic reply. Ebony had left without waiting for her reply.  
  
She sat listlessly through her classes, paying no more attention to her teachers than usual, without paying attention to anything else either. She was very obviously depressed and the fact that she and Todd had plans for after school cheered her only slightly. Idly she ran a hand through her long black hair. It seemed some how ridiculous now, the raven locks which fell all the way to her knees; an arrogance she no longer deserved, or she decided really wanted. It would have to go.  
  
***  
  
He was very worried about Ebony, so when the end of the day came he hurried to her side. She was worse than when she'd found out about Arachne. He'd spent days trying to figure out something he could do about it, anything. If truth be told he quite frequently not the happiest person in the world either, exited, mischievous or irrationally arrogant quite a bit. But not happy. So he wasn't very good at cheering people up. He tried his best though.  
  
She barely spoke on the ride home in the car Lance pretty much had on permanent loan from the Professor. Even the (former?) Brotherhood was considerate enough not to mention Ebony's grievance. That consideration was backed by Todd's dark glare.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her carefully.  
  
"Terrible," she sighed glumly. She pulled at the sweater she had on. "I shouldn't be able to wear this." She grimaced. "Well, I suppose that's one problem solved. I'm sorry."  
  
"For what yo?"  
  
"Being so down. I'll probably get over it eventually. C'mon, let's get inside." They had just gotten back to the mansion. The weather had gotten colder yet again but not quite cold enough to stop the snow from melting almost as soon as it touched the slushy ground. They were rather wet by the time that they actually got inside.  
  
"Let's go up stairs, I've got a present for you," Todd said. He had spent a long time thinking about what he should do for Valentines Day. He'd considered candy and flowers, dinner and a good many other things before finally deciding on an idea he'd stumbled on quite by accident.  
  
"Stay out here a minute," he said to her as they reached his room. He ducked in and a moment or two later he opened the door. "Kay."  
  
She walked into the room. His curtains had by now been replaced with black ones and there were some posters up on he walls. On the bed was a large white box tied with a pink ribbon.  
  
"Open it, yo" he said as she sat down.  
  
She picked it up and its weight seemed to shift oddly. She started to remove the ribbon and the box moved, startling her. She looked quizzically at Todd.  
  
"Jus' open it."  
  
She finished delicately removing the ribbon and took the top off. Immediately upon doing so a black mass of fur popped its head out above the rim. Ebony exclaimed with delight; the kitten mewled.  
  
It was a very small kitten, with long almost shaggy black fur without a single marking. It had wide bright green eyes and pointy ears that seemed just a bit too big for it and a swishy tail.  
  
"Meo?" the kitten asked as she picked it.  
  
"Oh Todd, he's the sweetest thing in the world!"  
  
"Yeah, I kinda thought you'd like him." He grinned.  
  
"Actually, I was wrong. You are the sweetest thing in the world!"  
  
As had previously been observed Todd's blush did horrible things to his complexion.  
  
"Come here."  
  
He sat down beside her and she kissed him warmly.  
  
"I saw a sign in front a' somebody's house advertisin' that there cat'd just had kittens an' I checked it out. I thought about some little calico one but this one wouldn't leave me alone. Picked him up this morning." He rubbed the cat on the ears.  
  
"So that's why you were late."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Well, he's absolutely adorable. What should I call him?"  
  
"I'm bad at namein' things Eb," he admitted. "I'd probably end up just calling him cat."  
  
"Hmmm," she regarded the creature. "Azreal? No, that's from the Smurfs. Claw? No not original enough." She shook her head. "I've got it! Toddy, meet King Emetrius Alexandros Horatio Del La Lune XVII."  
  
Todd goggled at the lengthy title.  
  
"King Alex for short," she giggled.  
  
"Meo," the King agreed.  
  
Ebony scratched his ears and he purred. The King batted at a loose strand of her hair. She frowned slightly and pulled it away from him.  
  
"Hey Froggy boy, do you have a pair of scissors?"  
  
"Sure. How come yo?"  
  
"I think I want to get rid of some of this," she gestured to her hair. "Like maybe this much." She used her hands to indicate a Cleopatra-like bob.  
  
"You sure Eb? That much hair won't grow back in a week ya know."  
  
She nodded. "I've been thinking about it. It just gets in the way."  
  
"Well, if you're sure yo."  
  
***  
  
Remy had driven Rogue to a moderately expensive restaurant for celebration of Valentines Day. He'd even been able to order them some wine courtesy of a fake ID he'd gotten somewhere. She had decided not to ask about it.  
  
"It too bad it no night for a romantic walk in de park eh chere?"  
  
"That's okay shugah, Ah like dinner just fine," she smiled. "An' Ah jus' like bein' with ya."  
  
"Remy is tres charming, non?" He grinned playfully.  
  
Rogue laughed and sipped her wine. "Professah X might not like this y'know Remy." She indicated the glass.  
  
"So? De professor not know everyting. Dey say wine good for you." He grinned again and lifted his glass. "A toast. To you, mon cherie."  
  
She blushed.  
  
When they had finished the meal and got up to leave Rogue was mildly astonished to notice they'd finished the bottle of wine. She realized that she was rather pleasantly dizzy. She stayed very close to Remy as they walked out into the parking lot hand in hand.  
  
As they reached the car Remy stopped and turned to her. "Chere, you know dat Remy love you, oui?"  
  
"Ah love you too shugah."  
  
"Bon," and with that he drew her very close and kissed her.  
  
It was a very quick kiss, only a split second really. But even still Remy reeled backwards and nearly fainted. Rogue had to reach out and catch him.  
  
"Now why'd ya go an' do that?" she demanded, "Ah coulda seriously hurt ya!"  
  
"Je t'aime," he insisted, rubbing his now throbbing head.  
  
"Merde! Ah know dat chere! -" She stopped. It hadn't been long enough for her to absorb his powers or anything, but apparently she'd temporarily picked up his speech habits. She grimaced self-consciously and made an effort to speak normally. "Ya gotta promise me ya not gonna do that again!"  
  
"You not like it chere?"  
  
She glared. "Y'all know that ain't it! I don' want ya ta get hurt!" tears started to fill in her eyes. "Oh Remy." She embraced him.  
  
***  
  
It was well past twilight as Gabriel walked down the mucky Bayville streets with slush pouring from the sky. He knew he should have left the town by now, but for some reason he still lingered. His link with Hunter and the other Sentinels had been broken when the X-Men had destroyed Trask's base. Hunter could be anywhere, if he still existed. It would have been prudent for Gabriel to leave. But he didn't.  
  
It was a good thing that for one reason or another Trask hadn't canceled Gabriel's access to the scientist's (extensive) bank account. Otherwise he probably would have starved by now. As it was he was staying in a comfortable hotel, until, he told himself, he figured out where he wanted to go. Because he had an overwhelming impulse to go somewhere and it was somewhere very specific, he didn't just yet know where.  
  
It was that fact, along with the miserable weather that occupied his mind as he walked that evening. He had by now, and rather smugly, bought himself an umbrella. He had been experimenting with different manners of acting over the past weeks; grim pessimism, stupidity, a hot temper, and all others. He had finally decided on smug cheerfulness, with an occasional edge of sarcasm. It was what he was best at.  
  
Shuffling through the half-melted snow he contemplated going to Hawaii, but dismissed the idea very quickly. Hawaii wasn't where he wanted to go, even if it was warmer. He went back to thinking.  
  
He was so busy thinking that he nearly didn't see the large figure in black turn a corner ahead of him onto the street. But even from the back Gabriel recognized him as soon as he saw him, and immediately wished that he hadn't. It was Hunter.  
  
Gabriel saw that he had two options. He could leave before Hunter noticed him. That was the safest option for him. Or he could follow unobtrusively and find out what the bastard was up to. He wondered if Hunter's tracking connections had gone out with the lab too. He concluded that they must have been or Hunter would have found him by now.  
  
Once again Gabriel's curiosity overcame his caution and he decided to follow Hunter. He quietly tracked the dark cyborg up Main Street and through several back alleys to a large, empty warehouse. Not once did he seem to notice he was being followed. While Hunter went in through the door, Gabriel climbed up to a window and peered in.  
  
The building contained about fifty normal (That was to say AI, not cyborg) Sentinels, to whom Hunter was giving instructions. Gabriel could hear them clearly though no one without bionically enhanced ears could have. They were going to stage a raid on Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Tomorrow. The objective was to eliminate.  
  
Gabriel jumped off the crates he was standing on, landing easily on his feet. He hurried from the ally with a grin on his face.  
  
~  
  
Well, wasn't it cute? What do you think of Ebony's kitten? Where does Gabriel have the overwhelming urge to go? What about that raid? Woo. It's a general tavern brawl in the X-Mansion in the next chapter, 'Darkness Conquers'! Don't miss it, it's the climax of part one of Darwinian Rhapsody. A veritable season ender! 


	29. Darkness Conquers

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: Just read the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I own didley squat.  
  
Chapter 29.Darkness Conquers  
  
Gabriel let himself into the Institute; it was relatively easy for him to get past all of the security measures. He would have picked the lock on the front door too, just for kicks, if Charles Xavier had not been waiting to let him in.  
  
"Hello Gabriel," the bald man greeted him, "what are you doing here so late in the evening?" It was just past eleven o'clock.  
  
He smiled affably, not at all unnerved by the psychic. "I just ran across some information I thought you ought to have. Do you mind if I come in? It's rather wet out here." He smiled up at the soggily clouded sky.  
  
"Of course."  
  
He closed his umbrella and followed the wheel chair bound man in. He sat down on the first couch he came across, not waiting for an invitation.  
  
"Now, there was something you thought I should know?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What was it?"  
  
"What was what?"  
  
"The thing that you wanted to tell me."  
  
"What about it?" Gabriel continued to smile, quite as affably.  
  
The Professor, however, was hardly in the mood for this sort of game. His headache was worse than ever and he hadn't been getting enough sleep, due to the haunting dreams. He mentally gritted his teeth. Xavier did a lot of things mentally actually. "Please tell me about that thing that you thought I should know." He could of course, have easily lifted the information from the boy's mind, but most people seemed to think that it was an invasion of their privacy, and he didn't like to be rude.  
  
"Oh, that. It's hardly anything really. You wouldn't happen to have any tea by any chance, would you? It's very cold out there." He ran a hand through his wet, Crayola yellow hair. "And damp."  
  
Xavier's eyebrow did not twitch, nor did he sigh heavily, he had a lot of personal control. "I believe so." He led Gabriel into the kitchen and started a pot of tea.  
  
Gabriel really didn't say much for a few minutes. He stood, admiring the warm, bright kitchen and smiling in, what Xavier now considered, a truly maddening fashion.  
  
Finally, with hot, fresh brewed tea in hand he spoke. "Good tea," he commented, his plum colored eyes sparkling. "I feel much better."  
  
"I'm glad you like it," the Professor managed. He was about to try to steer him back to 'that thing you thought I should know' when the boy brought it up himself.  
  
He put the teacup down on the table. "Now then, where were we? You really shouldn't allow me to get side tracked like that, old boy."  
  
Yet again, the Professor failed to go into hysterics. "You were going to tell me, about the thing you thought I should know."  
  
"Ah, of course, how silly of me to forget. And something so important too." He picked his tea up. "You know, I really think this could use some sugar. Have you got any?"  
  
"One lump or two?" Xavier asked as civilly as he could manage.  
  
"Just one I think, it is rather good tea. Thank you," he said, taking the proffered sugar cube. "Now," he tapped a finger on his upper lip, "Ah yes, the attack!"  
  
"Attack?" Xavier was rather startled by this.  
  
"I'm sorry, did I mumble? Yes, attack. I ran across Hunter and some Sentinels this evening. Nasty fellow, Hunter, did I ever tell you about the time he made me go out on patrol in the pouring rain, with not so much as an umbrella? Ah well." He sighed, "As I was saying, I ran across him this evening and I decided to follow him and see what he was up to. It turns out," he took a sip of tea, "Good tea, really splendid, it turns out that he, and about fifty drone sentinels, are going to attack here tomorrow. I just thought you might want to know."  
  
And it had only taken half an hour to get it out of him. "Er, yes, thank you. You don't happen to know when they're planning to attack, do you?"  
  
"Actually, they mentioned it. High noon. Really. Not very original perhaps, but it is traditional."  
  
"Hmm," the Professor was thinking. Would the automated defenses (and Wolverine and Storm) be able to handle the threat, or should he keep the core team here to take care of it? He really wanted to keep the damage to the Institute minimal, so.  
  
"Well, thank you for your gracious hospitality, old boy, but I really should be going." Gabriel set his teacup down and turned to leave. But he stopped, a small figure descending the stairs catching his eye. "Perhaps I can stay a moment more," he murmured, smiling a bit more broadly.  
  
***  
  
Ebony couldn't sleep, so she stood up, scooped King Alex, her new, precious little kitten, into her arms and headed down to the kitchen to see about a cup of cocoa. She was a bit surprised to find the lights on and Professor Xavier talking with, of all people, Gabriel. Todd had told her about Gabriel, and how it was because of him that they'd found Trask's lair, so she wasn't unduly alarmed, just curious.  
  
She came into the room, shielding her eyes from the comparatively bright light with her non-kitten holding hand.  
  
"Hullo Professor, Gabriel," she greeted.  
  
"Hello Ebony," the Professor said. "What are you doing up?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just having a little trouble sleeping, it's nothing to worry about though." She was actually feeling pretty good tonight, all things considered. It was only when she laid down to sleep that troubles began to plague her mind.  
  
Gabriel smiled. "Good evening Ebony, and who's this charming fellow?" he indicated the King.  
  
"Oh, this is King Emetrius Alexandros Horatio De La Lune XVII. King Alex for short." She smiled and scratched the cat behind his ear. "Todd gave him to me for Valentines Day."  
  
"Ah, I see," his smile seemed to falter for just an instant, but it was probably just a trick of the light.  
  
"Would you like some tea?" Xavier offered.  
  
"Um, okay. Plenty of sugar, please." Tea wasn't as good quite as cocoa, but she didn't want to trouble anyone.  
  
"Did you cut your hair by any chance, Ebony?" Gabriel asked.  
  
"Uh-huh, this afternoon. Does it look okay?" She had cut off nearly two and a half feet of it, leaving it somewhere between the bottom of her chin and her shoulder blades.  
  
"Simply stunning, it frames your face beautifully."  
  
"Thank you," she chirped, taking her tea from Xavier and setting King Alex on the floor. "So how come you're here, Gabriel?"  
  
"I was just warning Professor Xavier about the attack Hunter has planned for tomorrow."  
  
The Professor gave him a very stern look, which he completely ignored.  
  
"I'm going to be keeping most of the team here," the Professor began, trying to get a jump on any arguments. "But I want you in school. I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
"I know I don't have any powers Professor," she said, deciding to argue. This wasn't to say that she wasn't going to stay home anyway, because she was, and hadn't said she wouldn't.  
  
Gabriel however looked mildly shocked.  
  
"It was Trask," she clarified.  
  
"Ah. I'm sorry," he looked it too. "If there's anything I can do."  
  
She shrugged. "He's probably dead anyway."  
  
"There is that." He smiled charmingly. "Well, I shouldn't keep you two any longer. Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow Ebony."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
"Adieu, then."  
  
***  
  
Ebony was not the only student to try to stay at the mansion the next day without the Professor knowing. She was, however, the only one to actually get away with it. Since, she reasoned Xavier was only going to be looking for them with his mind; there was probably a way to fool him into thinking she wasn't there. So, after breakfast, she went up to her room, hid in her closet, closed her eyes, and concentrated very hard on exactly what she would be doing, if she were actually going to school. She figured that she wouldn't have to do it for very long because Xavier would stop looking for extra students after he thought he'd found them all.  
  
It worked, but mostly because the Professor a) didn't think anyone would try to block his or her mind, b) he really wasn't looking very hard and c) he was distracted. He had made an announcement that morning concerning the attack and who was and wasn't going to be included. Those staying to fight consisted of the core team, a few new recruits and what was swiftly becoming not the Brotherhood. Everyone was basically loitering around in their uniforms, since Xavier would call them all to the garden in front when he sensed the Sentinels were approaching.  
  
So, Ebony sat hidden in her room. As the time passed, she began to wonder what she was going to do when the fighting began. The more she thought about it the more hopeless it seemed. She knew what she wanted to do, trash Hunter and as many Sentinels as possible for what they'd done. But how was she supposed to do that.without her powers?  
  
Ebony knew when it happened. She heard the Professor's mental call and ran to the window in time to see everyone assembling on the lawn and what seemed to her a thousand Sentinels marching on the gates. Then she saw Toad with the rest of the X-Men. She thought he'd be in school.  
  
***  
  
Toad's first instinct when the Sentinels blew in the gate was to run. Nevertheless, he held his ground waiting for the signal to attack. It didn't come; really, the battle began when the Sentinels opened fire on them. Everyone was suddenly very busy dodging laser bolts.  
  
They were outnumbered by about three to one but were still pretty much evenly matched. At least most of them were. Toad himself was beginning to wonder exactly why he'd been included in this fight. His powers didn't seem to be any better against killer robots than they had been the first time.  
  
He grabbed a high tree branch, swung over it and kicked a Sentinel that had been after him, two footed to the ground where it was blown up by either one of Boom-Boom's bombs or Gambit's cards, he couldn't tell which. He turned, chuckling, and there, behind him, was Hunter.  
  
***  
  
At first Ebony just watched, trying to decide what to do. They seemed to have the fight well in hand, and there wasn't much she could do. She didn't even see Hunter, whom she had expected to be leading the charge. Her eyes searched the battlefield, which was swift becoming littered with fallen Sentinels. Abruptly her gaze fell on a remote part of the yard. There was Todd. and Hunter bearing down upon him. She raced down to the field.  
  
***  
  
Toad was dashing madly around trying to avoid the cyborg's rampant laser fire. He had been separated from the rest of the action somehow and there was no one around to help him. Hunter was gaining on him.  
  
"Surrender Mutant, and you will be terminated efficiently."  
  
"Heh, no way sparks for brains!" he ricocheted off the wall of the Institute and into Hunter, trying to knock him off balance, but Hunter caught his ankle and he was knocked to the ground. He couldn't get up.  
  
"Hostile Mutant will be terminated." The expressionless thing lifted his hand and fired.  
  
"No!!" something small and dark flew out in front of Toad.  
  
***  
  
Ebony leapt to intercept the bolt flying towards him, heedless of her danger, of anything but saving Todd. She felt the heat of the laser coming towards her and the rush of the ground coming up at her.  
  
No, please!!!! She screamed in her mind as she felt the impact of the blast hit her in the back of the neck and she hit the ground. Then nothing. No light, no sound, no feeling. Only darkness.  
  
Am I dead? She wondered. Is this heaven or hell? Or purgatory? And then she saw something, a familiar, evil, black shape moving in front of her on the featureless black plain. And her heart exalted with a fierce and terrible joy.  
  
***  
  
Hunter was pleased. By evening, all mutant signatures in this area would be erased. The fact that the small mutant had seemed to disintegrate at his kill shot did not bother him; her signature was gone. With a grim satisfaction, he aimed again at the cowering pitiful thing on the ground.  
  
Then the signature reappeared behind him and he turned just in time to see it.  
  
The figure rose up from the ground on a black pillar, clothed in gleaming, black liquid and encompassed by a dark aura. Her raven hair was whipped backwards by a phantom wind and her eyes were midnight. In her hand she formed a long javelin of black crystal. She looked at him, smiling a wicked smile and with a flick of her wrist the spear seemed to vanish.  
  
Hunter felt something driving into him. He looked down. Protruding from his chest was the long black crystal and blood was beginning to seep out around it. He opened his mouth to exclaim in surprise and blood spilled, pouring over his lip. He fell to the ground, terminated.  
  
***  
  
"Ebony!" Todd shouted, finally summoning the ability to stand, wincing in pain, so that he could rush over and support her as she sank to her knees as the pillar she'd been standing on began to dissolve. He put his arms around her. "You was supposed to be in school yo!"  
  
She smiled at him weakly. "And leave you here to hog all the fun? Besides, I saved your ass."  
  
"You coulda gotten yerself killed!"  
  
"You nearly managed that yourself. But did you see? Did you see me? I've got my powers back!" her eyes were filling with tears. "I've got my powers back! That laser beam, I think, that was what did it."  
  
"Yeah, Dr. McCoy said somethin' like that might do it. Also said anything bad enough to do it was likely ta kill ya. You okay?"  
  
"Yeah. A little sore a bit bruised and burned. How about you?"  
  
"Sprained ankle, s'nothin'."  
  
"C'mon, lets go see what's going on. It sounds like the battle's pretty much over."  
  
***  
  
The battle was indees over by the time they got back around front. All of the Sentinels had been destroyed and it looked like that particular menace was over. The Professor was surprised to see Ebony, disappointed in her, he said. But everyone was glad she had her powers back.  
  
No one who'd been hurt had to help with the clean up, so Todd and Ebony limped back into the (miraculously untouched) mansion with quite a few other wounded soldiers. Ebony amused herself by telling everyone she could get to listen about her defeat of Hunter. (Which Xavier really disapproved of. The boasting and the defeat itself. After all, Hunter had been sentient, sort of.)  
  
"Hey, Todd?" she asked him, later after everything had quieted down. "Do you think that's the last we'll see of the Sentinels?  
  
"I hope so, Eb, I could really use a break yo." He rubbed his head.  
  
"Yeah, I guess, but, I kind of liked the adventure." She sighed and petted King Alex.  
  
"Yeah, like killer robots is the worst we'll ever have to worry about. With our luck they'll probably ask us to fight of the frickin' end of the world yo," he chuckled. "Mutants to the rescue, you hate our guts but we save your butts. Jus' call 1-800 Dial-a-Hero."  
  
Ebony giggled. "You're probably right," then she yawned. "I'm kinda tired I think I'll go up to bed. G'night Froggy boy."  
  
"G'night Eb. See ya tomorrow."  
  
~  
  
Next chapter, some loose ends are tied but most of them are left hanging  
for the sequel.  
  
Don't miss the conclusion of part one of Darwinian Rhapsody, 'Wander Lust'! 


	30. Wander Lust

Darwinian Rhapsody  
  
By LejindaryBunny  
  
A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction  
  
A/N: I bet you thought I'd abandoned it again, dincha? Huh dincha? Well I'm sorry. I started out with writer's block at the end of August and then school started and ate my brain for a little while. But I'm back now, talent intact and inspiration in hand. So here's the chapter I've been promising, the last in Darwinian Rhapsody heralding the coming of Darwinian Requiem: Tokyo Kings.  
  
Disclaimer: You know whom all the X-stuff belongs to by now. Ebony's still mine, obviously.  
  
Chapter 30.Wander Lust  
  
Time had passed in Bayville, as it passed everywhere else. February had faded into March and it into April, May and finally June. Nothing much had changed at the Xavier Institute in that time. Well, Lance had given up looking for a new place for the Brotherhood to stay (there really just wasn't a point in it any more) but there weren't any more earth shattering events or even any new recruits. It was all's quiet on the mutant front so to speak. Wait, there was just one more thing, the professor had grown steadily more irritable as the psychic buzz increased slowly, seemingly trying to drive him out of his mind.  
  
Ebony sat in the warm sun on the steps of Bayville High, convinced that she had at least squeaked by on all her exams. She sat chin up with her black sunglasses perched on her cute nose, her shoulder-length hair drawn up in a little ponytail and wearing a black tank top, shorts and sandals. She was not so much enjoying the sun and warm breeze, as she was lost in thought. She was happy, of that there was no doubt, but she'd been getting restless lately.  
  
"Yo Eb," Todd greeted, plopping down beside her. "We jus' finished the last day a freshman year, whaddaya think of that?"  
  
"Ah, but are me still freshman until September or are we sophomores already?" she wondered idly.  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Not really," she smiled, and then sighed. "Sheesh, summer only started ten minutes ago and I'm already bored."  
  
He snorted. "You been bored since we busted up those Sentinels yo. You know how hard it is tryin' ta keep you unbored?"  
  
She laughed. "I know. It's just so dull."  
  
"Tell me about it." He made a face.  
  
Ebony looked up into the clear blue sky. Now was the time. If she was ever going to do it, ever going even to suggest doing the thing that had been on her mind for months, it was now. Now or never. She took a deep breath. "So let's go somewhere. Its summer vacation let's actually go on vacation."  
  
He was distinctly taken aback. "You mean like outta Bayville? Where to?"  
  
"Oh I don't know, anywhere! Let's buy a couple of bus tickets and go on an adventure!"  
  
"Alright, now that sounds cool. We still got some a' that money from las' weekend?"  
  
She nodded. The previous Saturday had been a very good day for relieving people of their money. They had quite a bit.  
  
"The Professor ain't gonna like it ya know," he pointed out.  
  
"So? What's he going to do? We'll be back in time for the start of school. Probably." She smirked.  
  
He broke into a grin. "Maybe"  
  
"Possibly."  
  
"If he's lucky."  
  
They laughed. Ebony giggled so much she couldn't sit up straight and practically fell into Todd's arms. Not that either of them minded.  
  
The school door behind them opened and Lance came out.  
  
"Can't believe ya had detention on the last day a school yo," Todd snickered.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon you two. Or do you want to stay here until September?"  
  
Both sprung up energetically and followed him to his car.  
  
Once in the back Todd gave Ebony an inquisitive gold-eyed glance, obviously wondering if they were going to say anything about their trip to Lance. She shook her head. I'm not giving anyone a chance to stop us, she thought to herself, or a chance to tag along.  
  
***  
  
They had each packed a backpack full of clothes, money and any other necessary items. Well, Todd had packed clothes. Ebony had thought it would save room if she just made them as she wanted them. Instead she packed things like Aspirin, a pillow, blanket, flashlight, spare batteries, walkman, paper and pen, a spoon, pocket knife, lighter, candle, nail file, sunscreen, can-opener, pop-tarts, toilet tissue, and a few other items she thought might be useful.  
  
"Are we actually gonna need all that stuff Eb?" Todd asked slightly confused.  
  
"Some of it probably not, but I don't want to be caught like the guy in Cast Away." That was yet another movie that had made her cry herself senseless. But a lesson had stuck with her and so she'd tried to anticipate anything unanticipated going wrong on their adventure and prepare for it.  
  
It had only taken them about an hour to pack and since they started as soon as Lance had gotten them home it was still fairly early in the evening. In fact Ebony saw no reason they couldn't start their journey tonight. But there was still the question of where they were going. Ebony opened a road map which she had been about to put in her pack.  
  
Okay, she thought, we're in Bayville, which is practically as far east as you can go without hitting water. I don't want to deal with crossing the border to Canada so. "Hey Todd, Down or to the left?"  
  
He looked up, having no idea what she was talking about. "Um, both?" he guessed confusedly.  
  
"Okee then." She looked at the map and traced a line southwest with her finger until she came to a place she wanted to see. "Aha! First stop Roswell New Mexico. It should take three or more days to get there by bus and we can figure out where to go next after we've had our fill of Area 51."  
  
He shrugged. "Fine with me yo. Hey Eb, uh, I don' mean ta be a party pooper or nothin' but how are we going to get to the bus station?"  
  
"I've got it covered Froggy Boy," she smiled sweetly and shouldered her pack marching out of the room. He chuckled grabbing his own pack and followed her.  
  
***  
  
She found Remy outside the Institute, leaning against the trunk of a tree  
smoking.  
  
"That's a nasty habit. You ought to stop," the black imp chastised.  
  
"You tink Remy don' know dis Petite?" he grinned and shrugged. "But what can he do, non?"  
  
Todd rolled his eyes, in his mind there was always something slightly dubious about the suave Cajun.  
  
"What up wit de packs eh, petite?" he asked looking them over.  
  
"Actually Remy, I was wondering if you could do me a little favor. A kind of big favor really."  
  
"An' what can Remy do pour vous et monsieur toad, hmm?" he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Would you mind giving us a ride to the bus station, like right now? Please?"  
  
"Ah, I thought dat might be it."  
  
"We'll be back," she said hastily, "We're just going to go on a little trip type thing."  
  
"Remy be glad to help chere," he said, throwing his cigarette butt down and grinding it under his shoe.  
  
"Really? Thanks!" she threw her arms delightedly around his waist. He really was a lot taller than she was. Todd glared rather jealously.  
  
"Sure petite," he said, stepping away. "Can take you right now if you want."  
  
She nodded and began to almost skip to the parking lot.  
  
Before following Remy stopped and put a hand on Todd's shoulder. "Don' worry mon ami, Remy may be a thief but he not steal ton petite."  
  
"Yeah, thanks," he replied rather flatly and they went to the car.  
  
***  
  
"Here we are mes amies," he announced, pulling up in front of the bus station. "You sure about this, non?"  
  
She nodded and was about to get out when she remembered something and dug an envelope out of her pocket. "I almost forgot! Will you give this to the Professor? Tomorrow morning?"  
  
"Sure ting petite," he said, taking it from her, smiling.  
  
Now she exited the car, with Todd at her side. He looked utterly relieved as Remy drove away. Ebony could understand that, because she did like Remy, especially his accent. But she definitely liked Todd more. She stood close to him and rubbed her pale cheek on his shoulder. "Well, c'mon, let's start our adventure."  
  
He grinned his broad, mischievous grin that she liked so much and they went through the dirty glass door with the metal framing.  
  
The inside of the bus station was small and ugly and Ebony didn't like it. It was dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights, most of which were burnt out. The gray linoleum floor was dirty and had trash (mostly candy wrappers and the like) in the corners and she wouldn't had been surprised to see cockroaches, centipedes or spiders living here. The air smelled of unwashed clothing, mingling with cigarette smoke and cheap fast food. There were two rows of Plexiglas chairs set back to back in the center of the room. They were yellow, the kind of chair that makes your butt hurt if you sit in it one way and your back hurt if you try another. The walls might have once been white but the painted was pealing and they turned tan the farther you looked up until the ceiling had been completely browned by cigarette smoke. There were several vending machines along one wall, one for candy, two for drinks and one the kind that sold breakfast sandwiches. Two walls had more of the distressing yellow chairs against them, and Ebony noted that they were all bolted to the floor. Who would try to steal chairs these ones especially? Evidently someone had though, because one of them had several jagged chips in it like it had been struck hard with something.  
  
And of course she and Todd weren't the only ones in the terminal. There were about six or seven others. There was girl only a few years older than she who sat with a baby (who was miraculously not crying) was several seats away from two unwashed men who seemed to be having an argument. An elderly lady was muttering to herself, a man with gray brown hair and a moustache in a flannel shirt was reading a book, and a pushy looking blonde guy glared of into space.  
  
The ticket booth was at the far side of the room and Ebony followed Todd to it, letting him take the lead now but staying very close to him because this place made her feel uncomfortable. The woman behind the Plexiglas at the counter was smoking and looked like she'd rather be anywhere but where she was. Ebony knew the feeling. The lady was rather fat and in her late thirties if not forties. She had greasy, curly died red hair in little curls that made Ebony think of limp noodles. She had small brown eyes behind ugly black framed glasses and wrinkles that came from frowning too much.  
  
"Whaddaya want sweetheart?" she asked Todd gruffly.  
  
"Ah, two tickets to Roswell, New Mexico please," eh said, glancing back at Ebony.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Uh, the next bus that goes there I guess."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Lemme guess, one way?" Ebony knew she must get runaways all the time and thought that was what they were.  
  
Todd nodded.  
  
"That'll be two hundred and ninety-two dollars honey." (A/N: I actually called Greyhound and found that out!)  
  
Again he nodded mutely and handed her the money.  
  
She took it, rang it up at the register and printed out two long strings of tickets, folded them and handed them to Todd. "Now don't you lose those kid or you'll be stuck ya know."  
  
"Pph, I ain't gonna lose 'em lady, but thanks for caring." He gave her one of his charming grins.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Your bus leaves in an hour and a half with stops in Albany, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Oklahoma City and a hell of a lot of other places. You've got a six hour layover in Kansas City just so ya know." She shook her head and handed them two tags for their pack packs. "Carry on luggage only I'm sure."  
  
"Yup, c'mon Ebony, let's have a seat." He put his arm around her shoulder and they sat in those horrid chairs next to the vending machines.  
  
She was smiling now, despite her dislike for the bus terminal. After all, they were really going to do it. They were really about to start on their grand journey. But god, "What are we going to do in here for an hour and a half?" she demanded aloud.  
  
***  
  
Todd yawned and checked his watch again. The bus was late, an hour late. He was beginning to wonder if it would even come at all. Oh he was excited but there was something about a bus station that dulled your senses. Ebony was practically asleep on his shoulder but she jumped to alertness every time the loudspeaker came on to announce a bus. She did this now.  
  
"Bus from Hartford, Connecticut now debarking. Bus will reboard in ten minutes for Albany, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati." The voice droned on.  
  
"That's us!" Ebony squeaked excitedly, jumping out of her chair and grabbing her pack. "Finally!"  
  
He stood and stretched his long, bony arms, shaking out the foot that had fallen asleep. "Alright! We're off." He scooped up his bag and followed his impetuous little beauty out of the stale stagnant air and onto the boarding platform.  
  
It was dark now, the last violet edges of twilight fading away at the horizon and Todd watched the people getting off the bus, some tired and some excited. He suddenly felt a great need to be moving. He wondered what the rest of the world looked like, since he had never been out of New York and he realized that he was going to see it. If not all of it, a lot of it.  
  
Then he heard Ebony's voice humming something, indistinct at first but then more clearly.  
  
"The road goes ever on and on,  
  
Down from the door where it began.  
  
Now far ahead the road has gone,  
  
And I must follow if I can,  
  
Pursuing it with weary feet,  
  
Until it joins some larger way,  
  
Where many paths and errands meet.  
  
And whither then? I cannot say."  
  
"Yo wassat Eb'ny?" He furrowed his brow. "You make that up?"  
  
She laughed. "I'm flattered. No I didn't. I just thought it was appropriate. It's from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and just about everybody in the books sings it before they go on an adventure."  
  
"Ah, 'ats cool. Hey, I think we can get on now." He gestured to the bus. She followed him to it excitedly and the bus driver tore off the first part of each of their tickets as they got on.  
  
They sat toward the middle of the bus, Todd on the aisle and Ebony by the window, their backpacks up on the luggage holder above them. The seats, Todd noted were relatively comfortable and there was an air conditioner running up by the windows. There were little lights up above them and the button to turn on or off their patch of air conditioner. As it was dark he turned on the light.  
  
The bus was neither empty nor full and the passengers were all busy taking, some trying to get to know their traveling mates already. Plenty of time for that though, thought Todd. This is going to be a long trip.  
  
Ebony had taken a package of pop tarts out and was munching on one, handing the other to Todd. They hadn't eaten any dinner.  
  
And then the loudspeaker came on. "Attention passengers. I'm your friendly driver for this leg of your journey, Al," he said cheerfully in an older male voice. "Our first stop is in Albany New York at 12:15 where you will be given twenty-five minutes to stretch your legs, get something to eat, or what not. After that it's onto Ithaca and then we'll be heading into Pennsylvania. I'd like to call your attention to the restroom at the back of the bus which you are free to use at any time and ask you to please not block the aisle."  
  
And they were moving.  
  
"We're off Ebony," he said and she grinned at him.  
  
He watched her looking out the window. Bayville Bus Station and indeed every second brought them farther away from the tedium of their lives and closer to the freedom of the adventure that they could both see waiting on the dark horizon.  
  
~  
  
Well that's it, finally the end of the first part of my Darwinian Trilogy. Stay tuned for Darwinian Requiem. I can't tell you when I'll write it. I'm going to try for in the next few days though. But that's a hope, not a promise. Thanks for reading; you make life worth while.  
  
LejindaryBunny  
  
New York  
  
September 29, 2002 


	31. Author's Note for Edited Version i'm Baa...

Well hello again, it's been like nine months since we've seen each other hasn't it? I just corrected hopefully all of the spelling and grammatical errors in Darwinian Rhapsody, as well as added a word here, a sentence there, you know the deal. Please go back and reread it.  
  
I've missed you, you know that? Darwinian Rhapsody's been hanging heavy over my head for the past few weeks now, but I'm so bogged down by other projects. I already completely abandoned one fic, a Sonic the Hedgehog fic, and I haven't updated my new FF novel for Invader Zim, a romantic slash epic, Cognitive Dissonance in a month. And then there's my Harry Potter fic which gets so few reviews it isn't worth talking about. And a small audience Matrix series I'm collaborating on with a friend.  
  
It's enough to make me want to tear my hair out!  
  
But I have the first chapter of 'Darwinian Requiem: Tokyo Kings' written, and if you can promise me that you will review and can put up with erratic amounts of time between posts, I'll put it up.  
  
I have to say of all my projects Darwinian Rhapsody is my favorite. It started in math class. It started with Final Fantasy eight, and someone on a message board wondering who would be the best ff8 character to hug. I was wondering which Evo character would be the best to kiss. The answer knocked me right out of my chair. The teacher asked me why I had fallen out of my chair. I made up some lame excuse and an obsession was born, right then and there. Ninth grade math class, some time around noon.  
  
I had already had a character sort of like Ebony, she went by the same name and had black hair. But she was 5'9 and could turn in to a black panther. She was also, as I may have mentioned before, paired with Kurt.  
  
Not the Ebony we all know and love, right?  
  
She began a slow but steady transformation in my daydreams, as this was more than eight months before I would discover ff net and over a year before I would begin posting. For practically the first time I began writing little snippets of my day dreams down. The first scene that ever made it to paper was an extremely beta version of the movie theatre scene. It was penned during a lecture of sense imagery in Mrs. S-Z's (then only Miss. S) English class.  
  
A conversation close to the first one that Ebony has with Mrs. S-Z really did take place when I told her about my Todd obsession. She thought I was crazy.  
  
I'm going to let you in on a secret. The original title of the story was going to be 'Jumping at Shadows' I hated and was constantly looking for a better one. I found one, when I got up early one morning and watched VH1, and saw the video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. It got the ball rolling and finally I had a title I could live with.  
  
Two weeks later I set up an FF net account and began posting. The story grew so fast that I knew the entire first arc, up until Ebony got her powers back by the end of the fourth chapter. After that the ideas for the sequels came.  
  
Darwinian Rhapsody started right before my fifteenth birthday. Now I'm sitting here and I'm 17 and a half. I love these characters and this world and all of you. Tell me, is going to be worth it to get the ball rolling again? Do you want to know why Todd's having prophetic dreams and what those psychic feelings Xavier's getting are? Do you really want to know more about Todd and Ebony and Gabriel and all their experiences? Or should I leave the story where it is? An end, and a beginning?  
  
Please tell me.  
  
Lejindarybunny 


	32. Wandering Kings

Darwinian Rhapsody: Tokyo Kings

By Lejindarybunny

A totally awesome X-Men: Evolution fanfiction

Author's Note: I'M BA-ACK! You didn't honestly think I'd forgotten about this project now did you? I promised to write it and write it I shall! I will apologize for the long wait though as I DID after all get majorly side tracked. I know, I know, two years is a long time to get side tracked for. So sue me. The wait means the writing'll be better this time around.

Anyway I'm back on track, so before I forget, WELCOME TO THE GRAND OPENING OF DARWINIAN RHAPSODY: TOKYO KINGS'!!

Chapter One- The Wandering Kings

He ran a hand gingerly through the small, black clad girl's hair. She was asleep, head resting on his shoulder as the bus sped on through the night. But Todd Tolensky couldn't sleep, his mind racing ever forward like the Greyhound they road. They were on their way to nowhere by way of Roswell, New Mexico and all points in between. It was the summer of their freshman year of high school and they'd been on the road practically since the moment class let out, a day and a half ago. The young, dirty-blonde haired mutant chuckled quietly and looked idly out the window. His companion's name was Kimberly Trufire, but she preferred to be called Ebony. They'd met only about six months ago when she'd transferred to Bayville High right before the start of something nasty; Sentinels, scary cyber-humanoids capable of massive property damage and bent on the destruction of mutant kind. Ebony of course, was a mutant herself, with power over shadows and a height of four feet and not very many inches. As was he, a mutant, that is, the Toad, with the power to leap really high, kick stuff and well, some other stuff. She'd been staying at the Xavier Institute while Todd was with the Brotherhood.

Yet somehow across enemy, or at least rival, lines the two had quickly become more than friends. And then the Sentinels had started wrecking stuff. They blew up the Brotherhood house, luckily all the guys and Tabby too, had managed to get out but then had to stay in the Institute. Then things had really gotten bad. Trask, the guy who created the sentinels had kidnapped Ebony and killed her powers before Todd could get there are not quite single-handedly rescue her. While Ebony was not dealing well with the loss of her abilities the Sentinels had attacked the mansion intent on destruction of all mutants there in. Toad had been cornered by most powerful of the killer robots when Ebony had thrown herself in front of the killing shot. Somehow the shock to her system overloaded the block Trask had created on her powers and she wasted the Terminator wannabe. The Sentinels were backed off, nobody important was seriously injured and the day was saved. Yay.

Of course more stuff had happened in between the serious points of action, like the strange prophetic dreams Todd had had about the whole mess and the fact that some of the Sentinels had once been human but he tried not to think too hard about those things.

And anyway that had all been almost five months ago and very little had happened between then and now that was worth mentioning. And so they'd decided to go on a vacation/national tour/adventure. Or rather Ebony had decided and dragged him along for the ride. Not that he minded. No this promised to be very cool indeed.

The bus pulled off the highway and into a town somewhere in Illinois, or was it Missouri by now? Didn't really matter, they'd be pulling into the bus station in a few minutes for a three our layover while they waited for the next bus on their route. Todd leaned over and rubbed his slightly swollen ankles. One good thing about the wait, he'd have a chance to put his feet up for a while. Bus travel was certainly killer on the circulation.

He sat up again to find Ebony slumped over on herself giving the mental impression of snoring without actually making any noise. He smiled tiredly and put a hand gently on her shoulder. Her had better wake her up before the lights came on when they got to the terminal and startled her half to death.

"Yo Eb," he whispered, shaking her ever so slightly, "S'time ta get off."

"Mmmmmng?" she opened her eyes slightly and yawned. "Wha time is it?"

Todd checked his watch, (well, his since the Bus station in Pittsburgh) "1:25," he said.

Around them the rest of the twenty or thirty other passengers were rousing as they pulled into the terminal.

"C'mon," he smiled putting his arm around her, helping her up as everyone lined up to exit the bus. His other hand was busy removing everyone else's wallets.

Gabriel sat on the sand in the darkness with the stars glimmering over the pacific ocean. California suited the young cyborg well; he'd been there for almost four months now after finally finding the motivation to leave Bayville. He'd had every reason to leave, the possibility that his 'creator', Doctor Trask could still be alive being the foremost in his mind. As long as the 'good doctor' wasn't around to give him orders he could be his own person, make his own decisions. Gabriel had been human once, only a year or more ago, though he could barely remember it. Dying could really give a guy amnesia, though he could remember death no better. And had he been left to rot in piece? No, Trask had selected his slender, golden haired, fourteen year old body to riddle with wires and computer hardware, to turn him into a mutant-killing machine. And it had nearly worked too, as it had on Hunter.

Gabriel chuckled. Funny, that it had been some deep, primal loathing of the dark haired Sentinel commander that had roused him from his stint as a mindless drone. That, and the strange dream memories of his previous life as the small boy Andrew, who had dies of Aides. But that boy HAD died, and Gabriel felt no compulsion to resurrect the shy, trusting thing, nor to reveal this body to his parents. And definitely he was not Gabriel Archer (or rather A.R.C.H.E.R ) the sentinel. He was Gabriel Freewing, self styled cynical romantic and super powered individual.

Though there had been one reason to stay in Bayville...A smirk played on his sharp features and he tugged a few loose strands of hair away from his violet eyes. What is full of color yet has none? A glassless mirror with featureless reflection, the brighter the darker. Follow the leader, never leaves your side Predicts the weather. he riddled in his mind.

"What's black and white and red all over?" he giggled to himself, laying back into the sand to see the thousands of tiny points of light.

He had an apartment in Los Angeles, now, and a job at one of the many surf shops by the beach he was now at. He sat up, if he stayed any longer he would never get home. A cool breeze moved across his now tan skin. Yes, Gabriel felt at home in the City of Angels, but something told him that he wouldn't be there much longer. Something new was on the horizon.

The man shook his head, swinging the long colorless locks around his face. It had grown again, his hair. Perhaps it was a side effect of the process. He wondered briefly if he should cut it. Perhaps not, after all actions done could not be undone, sins repented still could not be taken back.

He looked around the cold metal made room. He was ill at ease, even here in this his last sanctuary. Doubts gnawing on him, doubts he should not have had. It was right and proper for him to have mastery and dominion and yet he did not. And here the feeling that something was wrong, that some fatal tragic flaw had overcome him. Did the white haired young man see the irony in himself? Not at the moment, but he soon would.

Xavier swirled the tea around in his glass, sitting in his office. Such a strange dream he'd been having these past few nights, wandering around in the mist. Someone had been calling to him, saying his name over and over. And something else too.

He sipped his tea.

And a number. There had been a number as well. 202, 202. What could it mean?

Someone put a hand on his shoulder and Xavier startled. He'd been so immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard them approach.

"Ah, Logan," he said calmly. "Good morning."

"Yeah, sure," he grunted in reply. "I'm headin' out for a while Chuck."

The professor winced mentally. Logan rarely failed to call him by that impossible nickname.

"Oh? For how long?" Xavier asked courteously, though he already knew the answer.

"A while," was the only reply he got.

He sighed. "I had hoped you'd stay a while longer and help me with the new recruits."

"Sorry Chuck, this is somethin' I gotta do."

"I understand." The professor paused. "Sit with me a moment. won't you, Logan?" He motioned to the empty chair beside his desk. Wolverine leaned against it, and Xavier supposed he would just have to be satisfied with that.

"Some of the students seem to be picking up some of your bad habits Logan."

He raised an eyebrow. "Smokin' or drinking?"

Xavier almost smiled. "Thankfully neither, as yet. No, I mean leaving at the drop of a hat."

Wolverine grunted.

"Ebony and Toad left two days ago, right after school. They got on a bus headed westward. I've been wondering whether or not to send someone to get them." Xavier laced his fingers together thoughtfully on top of his desk.

"Don't do it." Logan replied immediately. "You send somebody out there to drag 'em back they'll only resent you and whoever you send for doin' it. They'll leave again at the first chance they get, and probably won't come back."

"Logan, neither of them are at all responsible. Not only will they use their powers, in public, without any regard, but they are both petty thieves." He shook his head. "I worry for their safety."

"Look Chuck you asked for my opinion and I gave it to you. Kids like that are going to have to learn the hard way. Either they come back or they don't, but chasing them down won't do a damn thing." With this parting remark Wolverine turned and stalked from the office.

The bus station that they were currently in was larger, but not any cleaner or nicer, than the one they had started out in, Ebony observed blearily. The floors were tiled in brown, rather than grey, and there was a small corner with cheap, dirty toys, and designated the children's area. The young mutant was slumped in one of the hard plastic chairs near the obligatory vending machines; Todd was beside her, inspecting their tickets.

"We got a six hour layover, Eb," he told her with a yawn.

'Oh great," she managed a smile. "Maybe next time I should actually stop and plan for a minute before rushing off on adventure."

"Nah, it's cool," he assured her, then reached down to rub his tender ankles. "I gotta 'dmit though, I am a little sick a this whole bus thing."

"Me too. Maybe we should take a break for a day and hang around here?" she mused. "Where is here, again?"

"Missouri. You wan' me to go see 'bout a later bus, yo?"

Ebony sighed. "Why don't you? We can find a motel and get some sleep, then play tourist tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." He stood, and went over to the information desk.

Ebony's mind drifted in an exhausted blur, and she wondered what she would have said a year ago if someone had told her she would end up with her boyfriend in a Missouri bus station at nearly 2:30 am?

She imagined she would have thought it a very nice idea... which it was... but about as probable as seeing her old math teacher Mr. Louis in a sundress... it would probably be a yellow sundress... the kind that mother wear to church picnics... like the one in Tom Sawyer....or was that in something else...they have ham salad at church picnics...I don't like ham salad....but I do like egg salad...I wonder which came first....chicken salad or egg salad...

Todd touched her shoulder.

"The cab's here Eb," he said gently.

"Wha?"

"Ya fell asleep, yo. I found us a motel 'n called a cab, figured I'd let ya sleep til it got here. Bus is at 'bout 9:30 tonight night."

She nodded.

"C'mon."

She leaned on him as they walked out in the muggy night air, and got into the back of the taxi.

To be continued....

Feed me feedback, and I make more chapters. If I starve, so does my creativity...


End file.
